Austin Airbag Injury Lawyer

Airbags are designed to save lives in a car accident, but when they malfunction — deploying too aggressively, failing to deploy at all, or deploying without a crash — they can cause devastating injuries. Defective airbags have been the subject of the largest automotive recalls in history, and the problem continues to affect millions of vehicles on Austin roads today. At McFarlane Law, we represent victims of both airbag-related injuries in car accidents and injuries caused by defective airbag systems, fighting manufacturers and automakers for full compensation.

If you suffered injuries from an airbag deployment or an airbag that failed to deploy during an Austin car crash, call (512) 222-4900 for a free consultation. Our attorneys handle complex product liability cases involving major automakers and component manufacturers.

How Airbags Can Cause Injuries

Modern airbags deploy at speeds up to 200 miles per hour, inflating in approximately 1/20th of a second. This explosive force is necessary to create a cushion between the occupant and the vehicle’s hard interior surfaces, but it also means the airbag itself can inflict significant injuries — especially when the system malfunctions or the occupant is positioned too close to the airbag module.

Injuries from normal airbag deployment include facial fractures from the force of the deploying airbag, eye injuries including corneal abrasions, retinal detachment, and chemical burns from the propellant gases, wrist and hand fractures from arms positioned over the steering wheel at deployment, chest contusions and rib fractures particularly in smaller or older occupants, friction burns and abrasions on the face, neck, and arms, and hearing damage from the explosive deployment noise. While these injuries are generally less severe than the crash injuries the airbag prevented, they can still be significant — and when caused by a defective airbag, they may be compensable through a product liability claim.

Defective Airbag Failures

The most dangerous airbag problems involve system defects that the occupant had no way to anticipate or prevent. Failure to deploy is catastrophic — the occupant experiences the full force of the crash without the protection the airbag was designed to provide. This often results in traumatic brain injuries, facial trauma, and chest injuries that would have been significantly reduced by a functioning airbag. Failure-to-deploy cases can arise from sensor malfunctions, wiring defects, software errors in the airbag control module, or manufacturing defects in the inflator mechanism.

Excessive force deployment occurs when the airbag deploys with more force than necessary for the crash severity, causing injuries disproportionate to the collision. Late deployment can actually increase injuries because the occupant has already begun moving forward when the airbag inflates, essentially hitting them with the airbag rather than cushioning them into it. Inadvertent deployment — when an airbag deploys without a crash — can cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle entirely, triggering a secondary crash.

Perhaps the most notorious airbag defect involved the Takata airbag inflators, which used ammonium nitrate propellant that degraded over time — especially in hot, humid climates like Texas. When these defective inflators deployed, the metal canister could rupture and send shrapnel into the passenger compartment, causing lacerations, blindness, and death. The Takata recall affected tens of millions of vehicles worldwide and led to multiple fatalities. Vehicles with unrepaired Takata airbag recalls remain on Austin roads today.

Who Is Liable for Airbag Injuries?

Depending on the nature of the airbag failure, multiple parties may be liable under Texas product liability law. The airbag manufacturer (the company that designed and built the airbag system) is often the primary defendant. The vehicle manufacturer that installed the airbag system may be liable if they knew or should have known about the defect, or if their vehicle design contributed to the failure. Component suppliers who provided sensors, inflators, or software may bear responsibility for their defective parts. Dealerships and repair shops may be liable if they failed to perform recall repairs or improperly serviced the airbag system.

Texas strict liability law allows injured parties to hold any party in the chain of distribution responsible for a defective product, without the need to prove negligence. Our attorneys also pursue negligence claims when evidence shows the manufacturer knew about the defect and failed to act.

Airbag Injuries to Children and Small Adults

Children under 13 and smaller adults face heightened risk from airbag deployment. Front passenger airbags are calibrated for average-sized adult males, which means the deployment force can be excessive for children, petite women, and elderly occupants. Children in rear-facing car seats should never be placed in front of an active airbag — a deploying airbag can strike the car seat with lethal force. Despite widespread warnings, airbag injuries to children continue to occur. When a vehicle’s advanced airbag system — designed to detect occupant size and adjust deployment force — fails to function properly, the manufacturer may be liable for the resulting injuries.

Injuries We Handle in Airbag Cases

Our attorneys have represented Austin clients with airbag-related injuries including traumatic brain injuries from undeployed airbags, severe facial fractures and lacerations, permanent vision loss and eye injuries, shrapnel wounds from defective inflators, cervical spine injuries from deployment force, chemical burns from airbag propellant, severe burns from post-deployment fires, broken wrists and hand injuries, catastrophic personal injuries requiring multiple surgeries, and wrongful death from fatal airbag failures. Each of these injury types requires specific medical documentation and expert testimony to establish causation and damages.

Checking for Airbag Recalls on Your Vehicle

If you own a vehicle that may be subject to an airbag recall, you can check the NHTSA website at nhtsa.gov/recalls by entering your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). Driving a vehicle with an unrepaired airbag recall is dangerous, but it does not eliminate the manufacturer’s liability if the defective airbag causes injuries. Manufacturers have a continuing duty to remedy known defects, and failure to adequately notify owners or provide timely repairs can actually strengthen a product liability claim.

Compensation for Airbag Injury Victims

Airbag injury cases against major manufacturers can result in significant compensation, including all medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, permanent disability, disfigurement, emotional distress, and punitive damages when the manufacturer’s conduct was particularly egregious. Because these cases involve large corporations with substantial legal resources, having experienced trial attorneys is essential. McFarlane Law has the resources to take on major manufacturers and fight for full compensation. Call (512) 222-4900 or fill out the form on this page for your free case evaluation.