Airbags are made to protect people during car crashes, but they can sometimes cause serious injuries. An airbag may deploy with great force, deploy at the wrong time, or fail because of a defect. Victims may suffer burns, broken bones, head injuries, or other harm.
If you were hurt by an airbag in Shreveport, Louisiana, you may have legal options. Desiah Injury Lawyers can review the crash, determine who may be responsible, and explain your rights. Contact our Shreveport airbag injury lawyer at (318) 252-3034 to schedule a free consultation and learn more about your legal options.
Why Choose Desiah Injury Lawyers After an Airbag Injury in Shreveport, LA
Airbag injury cases can be complicated because they may involve both car accident and product liability laws. Determining what caused the injury and who may be responsible often requires a careful investigation.
Desiah Injury Lawyers has 12 years of experience helping injured people seek compensation. Our Shreveport car accident lawyers understand how an unexpected injury can affect your health, job, and family. We can investigate what happened, collect important evidence, and deal with insurance companies on your behalf.
If you were injured because of an airbag in Shreveport, Louisiana, you do not have to handle your claim alone. Contact our law firm today for a free consultation with an experienced Shreveport personal injury attorney.
How Can an Airbag Cause an Injury?
Airbags inflate very quickly during a crash. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), airbags are designed to work with seat belts and can lower the chance that a person’s head or upper body strikes the inside of a vehicle. However, the force of deployment can sometimes cause injuries.
Problems can also occur when an airbag is defective. For example, an airbag may deploy when it should not, fail to deploy during a serious crash, or release dangerous pieces of metal.
Determining why an injury happened is an important part of deciding who may be legally responsible.
Common Airbag Injuries
Airbag injuries can range from minor cuts to serious medical problems. The type of injury often depends on the crash, the person’s position, and whether the airbag worked correctly.
Common injuries may include:
- Burns and skin irritation
- Cuts and bruises
- Broken bones
- Facial and eye injuries
- Head and brain injuries
- Neck and chest injuries
- Hearing damage
- Internal injuries
Some injuries may not be obvious right after the crash. Seeing a doctor can help identify injuries and create a medical record connecting them to the accident.
Who Could Be Responsible for an Airbag Injury?
Liability depends on why the airbag caused harm. If another driver caused the crash, that driver may be responsible for some of the victim’s losses. If the airbag itself was defective, the case may also involve a product liability claim.
Louisiana law provides rules for claims involving products that are unreasonably dangerous. Under the Louisiana Products Liability Act, a manufacturer may be liable when an unreasonably dangerous characteristic of its product causes damage during reasonably anticipated use. The law addresses problems involving construction, design, warnings, and warranties.
A lawyer can investigate the evidence to identify the parties that may be responsible.
What Evidence Can Help an Airbag Injury Claim?
Strong evidence can help show what happened and why an airbag injury occurred. It can also help connect the injury to a defective part or another party’s actions.
Useful evidence may include crash reports, photographs, medical records, witness statements, vehicle repair records, recall information, and data stored by the vehicle. The damaged vehicle itself can also be important evidence.
Victims should avoid repairing or getting rid of the vehicle before speaking with a lawyer when a defective airbag may be involved. An expert may need to inspect the airbag, sensors, inflator, and other vehicle parts.
An attorney can help preserve this evidence and determine whether expert testing is needed.
What Kinds of Compensation Are Available to Airbag Injury Victims?
An airbag injury can lead to medical bills, lost income, and other financial and personal hardships.
Depending on the circumstances, an injured person may be able to seek compensation for:
- Medical expenses: Hospital bills, doctor visits, medications, rehabilitation, and other treatment costs.
- Future medical care: Ongoing treatment, therapy, surgery, or other care needed for lasting injuries.
- Lost income: Wages and other earnings lost while recovering from the injury.
- Reduced earning ability: Loss of future income if the injury affects the person’s ability to work.
- Pain and suffering: Compensation for physical pain, emotional distress, and the impact of the injury on everyday life.
- Other accident-related losses: Additional financial or personal losses resulting from the injury.
The amount of compensation available will depend on factors such as the severity of the injuries, treatment costs, available insurance coverage, and who was responsible. A lawyer can evaluate these factors and determine which types of damages may be available in a particular case.
Schedule a Free Consultation With a Shreveport Airbag Injury Lawyer
An airbag injury can leave you with pain, medical costs, and questions about what went wrong. You may also be unsure whether the crash, the airbag, or both caused your injuries.
Desiah Injury Lawyers can investigate your accident and explain your legal options. Our Shreveport airbag injury attorneys can gather evidence, communicate with insurance companies, and pursue compensation from responsible parties when appropriate.
Contact us today to schedule a free consultation and discuss your airbag injury case.