Do You Have a Claim? Find Out From an Experienced Atlanta Airbag Injury Attorney
You never expect to have to rely on your vehicle’s airbags. But, when you need them, you expect them to work as intended. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. In fact, airbag failures are alarmingly common, and many accident victims find themselves in need of an experienced Atlanta airbag injury attorney.
Seeking financial compensation for airbag-related injuries is very different from seeking financial compensation in other circumstances. Instead of dealing with the auto insurance companies, you will be dealing with your vehicle’s manufacturer (and its insurance company). As a result, it is critical to have an attorney with relevant experience on your side.
Attorneys Experienced in Handling Airbag Injury Claims
At Mabra Law, we have extensive experience representing individuals and families in cases involving airbag injuries. Whether your airbag exploded, failed to deploy or failed in any other way, we can use our experience to seek just compensation on your behalf. When you contact us, we will arrange for you to speak with an Atlanta airbag injury attorney one-on-one; and, if we believe you are entitled to just compensation, we will handle your claim at no out-of-pocket cost to you.
Common Causes of Airbag Injuries
Most serious airbag injuries result from one of three main causes. If your (or your loved one’s) injuries are the result of one of the following, our attorneys will be able to seek just compensation on your behalf:
#1: Airbag Explosions
Tens of millions of vehicles sold in the United States since 2000 were equipped with faulty airbags that are prone to exploding instead of deploying properly. These explosions result from defects in the airbags’ inflator mechanisms, which can cause affected airbags to inflate with extreme force—sending dangerous chemicals and debris flying toward drivers and passengers.
While airbag deployment can be violent even under normal circumstances, airbag explosions frequently result in catastrophic injuries. As a result, they frequently leave accident victims and their families facing long, difficult and expensive roads to recovery.
#2: Failure to Deploy
On the opposite end of the spectrum is airbag non-deployment. While most airbag explosions result from the same inflator-related issue, various issues can cause a vehicle’s airbags not to deploy in the event of a collision. These range from other inflator-related issues to issues with the vehicle’s crash sensors and defects in other components of the airbag inflation system.
Most vehicles are programmed to deploy their airbags in the event of a collision involving speeds somewhere in the range of 10 to 16 miles per hour. Even at these relatively low speeds, car accidents can result in concussions and other serious injuries. If airbag non-deployment results in injuries that could (and should) have been avoided, the manufacturer deserves to be held fully accountable.
#3: Delayed Deployment
To protect drivers and passengers, airbags need to deploy in the blink of an eye. This is not an exaggeration. As the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) explains, when an airbag works properly, “[a]n igniter in the inflator starts a chemical reaction that produces a harmless gas, which inflates the airbag within the blink of an eye – or less than 1/20th of a second.”
If an airbag takes any longer than this to deploy during a collision, it won’t serve its intended purpose. In fact, delayed deployment can even be more dangerous than non-deployment in some cases. As the NHTSA goes on to explain, “serious or . . . fatal injuries can occur if [a] driver or passenger is too close to – or comes in direct contact with – the airbag when it first begins to deploy.” If a driver’s or passenger’s body is thrust forward in a collision before his or her airbags deploy, this is a very real—and very dangerous—possibility.
Common Types of Airbag Injuries
These issues, among others, can leave victims facing the life-altering consequences of various types of serious injuries. Some of the most common types of injuries we see in airbag failure cases include:
- Concussions – One of the most important functions an airbag is supposed to serve is to protect the brain in the event of a collision. Airbag explosions, non-deployment, delayed inflation and other failures can all result in brain trauma, the most common form of which is a concussion.
- Other Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) – Along with concussions, airbag failures can also result in other types of traumatic brain injuries (TBI). These include contusions, coup-contrecoup injuries, diffuse axonal injuries (DAI), hemorrhages and hematomas, among many others.
- Neck Injuries – Neck injuries are extremely common in car accidents involving airbag failures. When an airbag fails to deploy properly (or doesn’t deploy at all), the forces involved in a collision can easily cause muscle damage, nerve damage, vascular damage and various other forms of trauma in the neck.
- Back and Spinal Cord Injuries – The forces involved in a collision can be more than enough to cause serious back and spinal cord injuries as well. Airbags and seatbelts are supposed to work in tandem to keep drivers and passengers safe; and, if an airbag fails, a driver’s or passenger’s seatbelt may not be enough on its own to prevent life-altering trauma.
- Facial Injuries – Facial injuries caused by airbag failures can range from nose and jaw injuries to lacerations that leave permanent scars. Whether these injuries result in permanent impairments, permanent disfigurement or other consequences, they will often entitle victims to significant financial compensation.
- Eye Injuries – Eye injuries are common as well, particularly in cases involving airbag explosions. The debris and chemicals released during airbag explosions can cause trauma to one or both eyes—potentially resulting in full or partial blindness.
- Chest Injuries – The force of an airbag’s deployment can cause pulmonary contusions, collapsed lungs and other types of chest injuries in some cases. If an airbag fails to deploy, this can result in seatbelt syndrome and other types of chest injuries as well.
- Broken Bones – Broken bones are common injuries in all types of car accidents, including those involving improper airbag deployment (or airbag non-deployment). Treatment needs for broken bones resulting from airbag failures can vary widely, as can accident victims’ long-term prognoses.
- Soft Tissue and Nerve Injuries – Beyond neck and back injuries, airbag failures can lead to soft tissue and nerve injuries throughout the body. Here, too, treatment needs and prognoses can vary widely, with accident victims experiencing long-term (if not permanent) complications in many cases.
- Severe Burns – Severe burns are a very real concern with airbag explosions as well. These airbag-related injuries result in permanent disfigurement in many cases—along with chronic pain, emotional trauma and other life-long consequences.
If you or a loved one has suffered any of these types of injuries—or any other type of injury—after an accident involving an airbag failure, we strongly encourage you to speak with an Atlanta airbag injury attorney at Mabra Law. Our attorneys can explain everything you need to know; and, if you have a claim, we can use our experience to seek maximum compensation for your family’s losses.
How an Atlanta Airbag Injury Attorney at Mabra Law Can Help
Regardless of the specific injury (or injuries) involved, we take the same comprehensive, custom-tailored and compassionate approach to every case we handle. If you have a claim for an airbag-related injury after a car accident in Georgia, here are just some of the ways an experienced Atlanta airbag injury attorney at Mabra Law can help:
#1: Investigating and Proving the Specific Cause of Your (or Your Loved One’s) Injuries
One of the first steps toward filing an airbag injury claim is proving the specific cause of your (or your loved one’s) injuries. Once you get in touch, we will be able to conduct a thorough investigation focused on determining exactly what happened and who (or what company) is to blame. We will hire experts to examine your (or your loved one’s) vehicle and the crash site, and then we will use our experience to evaluate all potential claims for just compensation.
#2: Calculating the Lifetime Costs of Your (or Your Loved One’s) Airbag Injuries
Once we prove that an airbag failure is responsible for your (or your loved one’s) injuries, our next step will be to determine how much you and your family are entitled to recover. Serious airbag-related injuries can lead to a lifetime of financial and non-financial costs, including:
- Medical costs
- Other out-of-pocket costs
- Lost earnings (and future earning potential)
- Pain, suffering and emotional trauma
- Loss of consortium, companionship and enjoyment of life
All of these are costs an Atlanta airbag injury attorney at Mabra Law can help you seek to recover. We are passionate about helping our clients recover maximum compensation; and, if you have a claim, we will make sure we are seeking the full compensation you deserve.
#3: Fighting to Secure Just Compensation on Your Behalf
After gathering the evidence we need to prove your airbag injury claim, we will fight to secure just compensation on your behalf. We will do everything it takes to assert your legal rights effectively, and we will keep you informed throughout the process. If the manufacturer makes a settlement offer, we will help you decide whether to accept. If a fair settlement isn’t on the table, we will take the manufacturer to court.
FAQs: Filing an Airbag Injury Claim in Georgia
How Do I File a Claim for an Airbag-Related Injury?
Filing a claim for an airbag-related injury starts with proving that your airbag was defective. This requires experienced legal representation. When you hire an experienced Atlanta airbag injury attorney to represent you, your attorney will conduct a comprehensive investigation, and then your attorney will use the evidence gathered during this investigation to seek just compensation on your behalf.
How Do I File a Claim for a Fatal Airbag Failure?
The process of filing a claim for a fatal airbag failure is similar to the process of filing a claim for non-fatal airbag-related injuries. If you have lost a loved one, we offer our sincere condolences, and we encourage you to contact us for a free, no-obligation consultation about what we can do to help.
How Do You Prove an Airbag Failed to Deploy in a Crash?
If your airbag failed to deploy in a crash (or if a loved one’s airbag failed to deploy in a crash), proving what happened will involve examining the vehicle in question before it gets repaired. Along with proof that the airbag didn’t deploy, various other forms of evidence—such as GPS data showing the speed that the vehicle was traveling at the time of the collision—may be available as well. As long as you contact us in time, our attorneys will be able to gather the evidence needed to prove your legal rights.
Do I Need an Atlanta Airbag Injury Attorney to File a Claim?
While you are allowed to file an airbag injury claim on your own, practically speaking, you will need an experienced Atlanta airbag injury attorney on your side. As we mentioned above, these claims are very different from “normal” car accident claims, and you need to be able to assert your legal rights effectively in order to recover the financial compensation you deserve. From proving that your (or your loved one’s) airbag was defective to calculating the lifetime costs of the accident, this requires experienced legal representation.
How Much Can I Recover for an Airbag Injury?
The amount you can recover for an airbag injury depends on your individual circumstances. While car accident victims are generally entitled to recover the same types of losses (i.e., medical bills, lost earnings, and pain and suffering), the amount you can recover is unique to you. As your law firm, we will work closely with you to ensure that we are seeking the full compensation you deserve.
Contact an Atlanta Airbag Injury Attorney for a Free Consultation Today
If you would like to know more about filing a claim for airbag-related injuries in Georgia, contact us today. Call 470-664-2055 or tell us how we can reach you online to arrange a free consultation.