Size Can Matter In Airbag Deployment
An earlier generation of airbag cases begs for design improvement to protect an unbelted person of an average weight of 165 lbs. These first generation airbags deployed at a single level with a force powerful enough to kill or injure a small adult or child seated in the front passenger seat. Vehicles made after 2007 contain smart airbag detection systems; however many times defects in airbag design or installation can fool a smart airbag into not deploying when it should or deploy it when it shouldn’t. Many smart airbags determine how much force to deploy based upon the weight of the passenger. Some systems utilize a sensor on the seat bottom to determine this weight and other systems use bladders filled with gel which basically tell the airbag controller not to deploy in a crash when a front seat passenger weighs less than 105 lbs.
Many times due to variations in temperature or sensor defect, a system is tricked, resulting in death or catastrophic injury to a passenger. Most of the advanced airbag technologies tailor airbag deployment to the severity of the crash and the size and posture of the vehicle occupant. However, many of the vehicles on our roadways do not have sensors identifying children and very small adults or control airbag deployment force. This means that many children and smaller sized passengers in these vehicles are at risk for catastrophic injury or death when a front airbag deploys. Of course, first generation airbags in older vehicles pose the greatest risk. A recent study indicated that children had a 14.9% chance of serious injury from an airbag deployment in a 1997 or older model year vehicle versus a 9.9% risk in a 1998 to 2001 vehicle. Later model year vehicles were not studied. Interestingly, children older than 12 and smaller adults can also be at risk of injury when a front airbag deploys due to lack of bone density and muscle mass.
We recently were involved with a case with a smaller than average occupant who sustained the loss of eyesight due to the alleged size of her body and failure to be positioned properly for safe deployment. This was an older vehicle, pre-2007, with a one size fits all approach to the technology.
If you or a loved one has been involved in an accident caused by an allegedly defective airbag, please feel free to contact one of our experienced airbag defect lawyers for a free consultation to fully evaluate and investigate your case and determine who is or may be at fault and determine the proper amount of compensation that you will be able to recover.
