[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.habbaspilaw.com\/what-if-my-airbags-didnt-deploy-during-a-car-accident\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.habbaspilaw.com\/what-if-my-airbags-didnt-deploy-during-a-car-accident\/","headline":"What If My Airbags Didn’t Deploy During A Car Accident?","name":"What If My Airbags Didn’t Deploy During A Car Accident?","description":"One question that potential clients frequently ask in an California personal injury consultation is \u201cDo I have a case if my airbags didn\u2019t deploy during a car accident?\u201d Almost all vehicles on the road have airbags, but airbags don\u2019t always deploy or activate in a collision when they should. This scenario is surprisingly common. ","datePublished":"2022-06-08","dateModified":"2026-03-26","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.habbaspilaw.com\/author\/admin\/#Person","name":"Samer Habbas, Esq","url":"https:\/\/www.habbaspilaw.com\/author\/admin\/","identifier":1,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/328046d5a3bfc49c9999e96862d136a3f4bc810c33ae5a18d4d702bce2c20ecf?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/328046d5a3bfc49c9999e96862d136a3f4bc810c33ae5a18d4d702bce2c20ecf?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Samer Habbas & Associates","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.habbaspilaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/1241504_HabbasLogoUpdates_Logo1_Op1Black_060822-scaled.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.habbaspilaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/1241504_HabbasLogoUpdates_Logo1_Op1Black_060822-scaled.jpg","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.habbaspilaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/air-bag-.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.habbaspilaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/air-bag-.jpg","height":600,"width":900},"url":"https:\/\/www.habbaspilaw.com\/what-if-my-airbags-didnt-deploy-during-a-car-accident\/","about":["Accidents"],"wordCount":903,"articleBody":"One question that potential clients frequently ask in an California personal injury consultation is \u201cDo I have a case if my airbags didn’t deploy during a car accident?\u201d Almost all vehicles on the road have airbags, but airbags don\u2019t always deploy or activate in a collision when they should. This scenario is surprisingly common.\u00a0Airbags can save lives and prevent vehicle occupants from being ejected through the windshield. But what happens when they don\u2019t work? Sometimes, the failure of an airbag makes an accident not survivable. In other cases, injuries sustained in an accident where an airbag didn\u2019t deploy are worse than they would have been had the airbag have functioned properly.\u00a0Do You Need a Lawyer?Product liability claims require extensive experience and strong legal skills. Liability may not be obvious and will likely be disputed. At the Law Offices of Samer Habbas & Associates, we work with some of the best expert witnesses to build the strength of your claim. Our network of experts includes:\u00a0Product designers\u00a0Design engineers\u00a0Accident reconstruction specialists\u00a0Medical experts.\u00a0The lawyers at the Law Offices of Samer Habbas & Associates help victims of California vehicle accidents, including those involving defective airbags. We fight for full and fair compensation and have successfully obtained positive results in many product liability cases. We are not afraid to take on difficult cases against vehicle manufacturers and top players in the automotive airbag market.Are Airbags Effective?The first airbag was developed in the 1950\u2019s and first installed in production vehicles in 1974. Initially, airbags in vehicles were a bit of a novelty. In the event of a crash, the \u201cbag,\u201d really a gas-filled envelope, is triggered to rapidly expand in a matter of milliseconds.\u00a0In vehicles on the road today, airbags play a critical role in a traffic accident. The \u201csupplemental restraint system\u201d or SRS uses a chemical reaction to inflate an airbag in about \u2153 of a second. Since they\u2019ve been required in all vehicles since 1999, airbags have saved thousands of lives of vehicle occupants. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), airbags plus a lap and shoulder belt reduces the risk of fatality in a frontal crash by 61%. Seat belts alone reduce risk of death by 50 percent, and airbags alone reduce the risk of fatality by 34%.\u00a0Reasons Why An Airbag Didn’t Deploy During An AccidentAirbags may not deploy in a collision for a number of reasons:The accident was a minor collision and did not trigger airbag sensorsAn electrical component failed\u00a0Parts were installed improperly\u00a0Airbag sensors were defective and failed to detect the impact of a collision.\u00a0A small child or small-stature adult was in the front seat and sensors automatically shut off the airbag system.\u00a0Airbags in modern vehicles are designed to last the life of the vehicle and do not \u201cexpire.\u201d Vehicles are equipped with diagnosed systems and an indicator light on the dashboard should display if a problem is discovered.\u00a0Who Can Be Held Responsible If The Airbag Was Defective?You may have a valid claim against the vehicle manufacturer, the airbag manufacturer, and potentially other parties if you were in a vehicle accident and the airbag did not deploy when it should have. Defective airbag claims are a type of product liability lawsuit. Generally, you will have to prove:\u00a0The airbags were defectiveThe airbags should have deployed\u00a0You did not alter or change the airbagsYour injuries or loved one\u2019s death was the result of the defective airbags.\u00a0If your vehicle\u2019s airbag did not deploy in a situation where it should have, you may seek compensation for your medical expenses, lost earnings, and pain and suffering. Claims against parts or vehicle manufacturers are challenging because they are often promptly denied and vigorously defended. The burden of proving negligence in the product design or manufacturing process will be placed on the victim. Without an attorney, it may be difficult to impossible to successfully recover compensation.\u00a0Injuries That Can Result From An Accident Where The Airbag Didn’t DeployFailure of an airbag to deploy in an accident can result in catastrophic or life-threatening injuries, including:\u00a0Broken bone injuriesBurn injuriesLaceration injuriesSpinal cord injuriesTraumatic amputation injuriesTraumatic brain injuriesLoss of life (wrongful death).\u00a0Because airbags are designed to save lives, unfortunately, their failure to work can mean vehicle occupants do not survive.\u00a0What If the Airbag Didn\u2019t Deploy?The airbag not deploying in your vehicle accident does not automatically mean that you have a case. However, if the manufacturer\u2019s negligence in designing, engineering, or installing the airbags led to your injuries, you may recover compensation for damages related to your injury or a loved one\u2019s death. You should neither assume you have a claim nor assume you don\u2019t. The best thing you can do is preserve evidence, seek medical attention and contact an experienced attorney right away.\u00a0Get a Free Consultation with a California Product Liability LawyerContact the Law Offices of Samer Habbas & Associates today to speak with a lawyer about your potential defective airbag case. We offer a free consultation to answer your questions and discuss your legal rights. Our team is available 365 days a year to take your call.\u00a0 If we are able to represent you in your claim, we will not charge any legal fees unless we recover money for you.\u00a0"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"What If My Airbags Didn’t Deploy During A Car Accident?","item":"https:\/\/www.habbaspilaw.com\/what-if-my-airbags-didnt-deploy-during-a-car-accident\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]