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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – Most people feel safer with airbags, but how safe are they really? Some stunning new research suggests that not all airbags are created equally. The technology’s history is checkered with both benefits and disadvantages. For example, the Takata Airbag recall called into question the safety of airbags in vehicles.
Airbags: They Don’t Always Work Like You Want Them To
It might be helpful to know the current state of airbags in vehicles. You see, it’s not a simple science. Manufacturers have to program an airbag to go off at the right time – too soon and you get blasted in the face with the bag before the crash, sparing you no injuries and possibly causing injuries from the bag itself. Too late, and you also get no protection.
To calculate when an airbag should go off and when it should stay neatly tucked in its compartment, manufacturers employ a kind of logic that takes into account the speed of the vehicle, where it was hit, how fast it was hit, the position of the drivers in the vehicle at the time of impact, and a few other factors.
If the timing isn’t spot on, there’s no point to airbag deployment, which is why some airbags do not deploy on impact. Complicating this matter is the fact that every manufacturer has a different idea of when it makes sense to deploy an airbag. In other words, some manufacturers are more conservative than others, and some have different ideas about what will happen during a crash, based on their internal crash tests.
And, every vehicle is slightly different, changing the dynamics and physics of the vehicle in subtle ways, which changes the equation for how and when an airbag should deploy.
Unfortunately, politicians don’t really understand science, so they want uniform answers – answers that are non-existent.
A Brief History Of Airbags
In 1968, Allen Breed patented the first crash-sensing technology in the world. His invention would pave the way for future airbag technologies. In 1971, Ford introduced an experimental airbag fleet that would test the idea of airbag deployment, but early designs proved fatal to vehicle passengers upon deployment.
Today, design flaws have fixed, but not all of them. The technology continues to improve, with many manufacturers trying to solve the age-old dilemma of how fast to deploy the bag and when it’s appropriate.
Wrongful Deaths
The biggest problem with airbags today is deployment and accidental fatalities caused by them. Take the case of Takata’s exploding airbags. Airbags in affected vehicles may spontaneously explode, shooting shrapnel at the face and neck.
The most famous case involved a South Carolina woman who was killed in 2008 during a motor vehicle accident in which the crash didn’t kill her – the airbag did.
Wrongful death suits aren’t common in the auto industry – not as far as airbags are concerned anyway. And, for some, the details are a little confusing. But, according to this wrongful death attorney, wrongful death cases must be filed within 2 years of the incident, which usually provides sufficient time for the surviving family to obtain justice.
To prove the case, an individual must show that the airbag caused harm through negligence on the part of the company, but there are many ways to try a case. In general, wrong death suits involve the loss of services (household services) of the deceased, the funeral and burial costs, all past medical and hospital charges, the emotional pain and suffering experienced, and loss of care, comfort, and companionship and love of the deceased.
What Can Be Done?
Currently, there’s a massive recall on all potentially defective airbags. The problem is that the recall can’t happen immediately. It takes time to recall all of the potentially affected vehicles and fix them.
At an average cost of $1,000 to $1,500 to replace the airbag unit, some estimates place the total financial burden on auto manufacturers at $30 billion. There’s also the time component. It could take years to replace airbags in the 30 million suspected vehicles.
However, some experts believe that the risks are overblown. According to Consumer Reports, four fatalities and more than 100 incidents have been linked to the Takata airbags. But, the Department of Transportation claims that between 1987 and 2012, front airbags have saved 37,000 lives.
Out of 30 million potentially affected vehicles, 4 fatalities seems rather small, even though no lost life is insignificant. You’re wondering whether your vehicle may be on a recall list somewhere, you can check your vehicle here.
Attorney Maryam Parman has been helping California accident victims fight for financial compensation since 1998. As a founding member of the Avrek Law Firm, she represents clients in a range of personal injury, wrongful death and insurance bad faith matters. For more than 15 years, Ms. Parman and her attorneys have won in excess of $100 million in settlements and judgments. There are almost no types of injury cases that she has not addressed, and her extensive experience allows her to maximize financial recovery for her clients time and time again.
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