Defective Seat Belts and Defective Airbags

Two victims of a major car accident in San Antonio were admitted to the hospital. At the time of impact, both were wearing seatbelts. However, only one of them had a fully-functioning airbag deploy and help absorb the collision. Victim A, who’s car contained both a fully functional seatbelt and working airbag, left the hospital with only minor wounds and abrasions just 14 days after admittance. Victim B, whose vehicle lacked a fully functioning airbag, was not able to return to normal for a full 2 months. After more serious medical treatment including physical therapy in order to walk again, their wounds healed eventually. But what if there had also been an airbag present at the time of the accident for Victim B? In a metroplex like San Antonio, with traffic density steadily increasing each year, accidents can happen to anyone. That is why access to both a fully functioning seatbelt and airbag are of paramount importance. Defective seat belts and defective airbags are dangerous for everyone. That is why the lawyers at Carabin Shaw are here for you.

When airbags and seatbelts were created, preemptive legal measures were eventually constructed in accordance with their existence in order to protect drivers in case of a crash. Their objective is to prevent injuries and sometimes even save lives. When one or both fail, however, they can make a bad situation even worse.

Safety technology has come a long way since the invention of the seatbelt, but still there is no singular, universal design that flawlessly ensures the reduction of injury and passenger safety. The angles and geometry of a seat belt system’s structure can be the difference between life, injury, and death in the case of an accident. The construction of certain automatic seatbelt designs, for example, creates harsh angle that cuts across the neck in a crash. Automatic seat belts can be extremely dangerous, especially for children. Additionally, many cars still contain lap-only belts. Without any secondary reinforcement, lap-only belts in the back of a car can pose danger for those passengers riding in the back seat. Three-point seat belt systems that meet the needs of passengers of varying sizes are safest, and have saved millions of lives in the years since its inception.

If it is true that a proper seat belt mechanism can be the difference between life, death, and injury, the same can be said of airbags. Of course, it goes without saying that the most effective safety method is both of these mechanisms operating together, in tandem. What might not be so obvious is the idea that even with a flawless three-point seatbelt, a dysfunctional airbag has the potential to augment injuries suffered in a collision. If an airbag deploys prematurely, even a minor accident can cause serious injury. If the airbag completely fails to respond in a crash, it leaves passengers and drivers alike to absorb shock without the necessary protection. If there are people too close to the airbag when it deploys, the airbag’s forceful explosion can cause serious trauma.

Alternately, if an airbag fails to respond in a crash, it means that people in the car do not have the protection they counted on when they purchased a car with airbags present for their safety. Sometimes an impact will not actually set off the airbag, but rather jolt the sensor thus causing the airbag to become inactive until properly reprogrammed. Many accidents have occurred when an issue like this goes unnoticed for too long, and someone in the passenger finds themselves vulnerable upon impact. Our attorneys know this; more importantly, our lawyers know how to prove these points and settle the claim you are entitled to as a victim. Defective seat belts and defective airbags affect more drivers each year in San Antonio than they should; even fewer of these drivers find proper representation that can do what we can for their case. So call the lawyer team at Carabin Shaw today.

Some accidents in which airbags and seatbelts working in tandem may be the difference between life and death include Tire Defects - Crashworthiness - SUV Rollovers - Fuel Fires. Luckily, attorneys highly trained in defective seat belts and defective airbags are standing by in San Antonio. A San Antonio seatbelt injury attorney at Carabin Shaw wants to hear your story.

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