Martin J. Healy Products Liability Law Blog on Lawyers.com

It’s an unfortunate reality, but true: airbags can sometimes kill. Obviously this is not what the inventor of these revolutionary devices intended, but when you examine the complexities of an airbag deployment and the room for error, you can see why it may occur. And lets face it, no one even thinks about them until they are in a crash.

We all think our vehicles are in perfect working order until an accident happens, then we start to see the real story. Like any other part on your car, air bags fail to deploy and occasionally, have defects. In deconstructing an accident, it can take a long time to understand exactly what happened. An airbag malfunction is one of these cases. Sometimes, a simple wiring problem could be the cause.

According to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA), more than 1.4 million recalls in 2004, were related to air bag safety problems. NHTSA closely monitors air bag systems and the technology is getting more scrutiny since new regulations mandating smart air bags went into effect.

Historically, air bag systems were developed for the average sized, 160-180 pound male and were originally tested under these parameters. But what happens when you sit close to the steering wheel as many women do? And what about children?  When we consider these cases, you can start to see why an air bag deployment could be fatal. After all, air bags detonate with around 2,000 pounds of force at speeds that can exceed 200 miles per hour.

An important note: Automobile manufacturers have until 2012 to provide advanced air bags in their vehicles per the NHTSA.

If you have been involved in a defective airbag case and want to file an airbag lawsuit, contact our product liability attorneys for a complete evaluation. We specialize in defective product injuries. For more information on defective product, dangerous product, product recalls, SUV rollover, airbag lawsuits and other products liability cases contact the experienced attorneys of the Healy Law firm. Call 877-767-4591 to set up a free legal consultation.