Airbags save thousands of lives every year. But when airbags deploy, they can be really strong and hurt passengers badly. Air bag injuries have been studied, and it has been noted that some of these injuries never fully heal, especially if the injury was to the head.
Kids, smaller adults, and older people can get hurt more easily. Kids are often smaller and don’t have fully developed bodies, which cant’ fully withstand the impact of an airbag. Older people also have weaker bones, so their bodies don’t handle that kind of force the same way.
Victims can seek compensation for airbag injuries, especially when they lea to long-term complications like concussions, hearing or vision loss. Air bag manufacturers can be held liable for such injuries.
What Kinds of Airbag Injuries Turn into Longterm Complications?
These are the injuries that can result from air bag deployments:
Eyes and Vision
Eyes are very sensitive, and if an airbag hits your face, it can scratch your cornea, make your eye bleed, or worse, blind you in one eye.
In some cases, the injuries do not get better, and the victims suffer blurry vision or even permanent blindness.
Face and Teeth
Airbags can break noses, cut faces or smash teeth, and the scars don’t always go away. Some people need surgery to fix broken bones or torn skin, and could end up with deformed faces for the rest of their lives.
Hearing and Balance
Airbags deploy on a chemical mechanism that creates a loud pop. It can make your ears ring, mess with your hearing, or make you feel wobbly. About half the people who get these injuries feel off balance for a long time, and the ringing might never go away.
Head and Brain
Airbags can cause concussions or other serious brain injuries. When the brain is affected, it can be hard to remember things, focus, or talk clearly, and some people suffer from frequent migraines. Brain injuries can also cause long-term stress and anxiety.
Chest, Heart, and Lungs
If the airbag hits your chest, it can bruise your ribs, hurt your lungs, or even damage your heart. Some people need to undergo extensive treatment which can be pretty expensive.
Burns
Airbags use chemicals to inflate really fast, and that can burn your skin. Most burns are small, but sometimes they leave scars or make your skin itchy for a while.
How Can You Lower the Risk?
There are a few ways to reduce your risk of suffering long-term complications with an airbag. Here are some of them:
- Sit at least 10 inches away from the airbag so it has room to inflate without smashing you.
- Always wear a seatbelt because it works with the airbag and reduces the force on your head and chest.
- Make sure kids are in the back seat, and in the right car seat or booster.
- Keep your car maintained and check recalls so the airbags work like they’re supposed to.
Key Takeaways
- A lot of airbag deployments cause some injury, and some of those are long-term injuries.
- Eyes, face, head, hearing, chest, and burns are the injuries most likely to stick around.
- Kids, older adults, and small adults are at higher risk for permanent problems.
- Sitting too close, defective airbags, and not wearing a seatbelt make injuries worse.
- Some injuries can be treated, but others might never go away, so getting medical help quickly is important.
- Victims of airbag injuries can claim compensation, especially if the injuries are long-term or require expensive treatment.
