Car manufacturers design front and side air bags to protect drivers and passengers, and their efficacy is continually improving. The National Highway Traffic Safety Association estimates that airbags have saved 50,457 lives between 1987 and 2017.
The benefit of having an airbag typically outweighs the risk of potential injury when it deploys. Nevertheless, you should be aware that airbag deployment can cause serious injury in a motor vehicle accident.
Abrasions
The force and speed of an airbag deployment can cause painful cuts and bruises. The majority of airbag abrasions occur on the face, neck, chest, and arms.
Fractures
During a collision, an airbag rather than the collision itself could fracture bones. The skull, collarbone, and ribcage are especially susceptible to this type of break.
Eye injury
Many car manufacturers have had to issue recalls after airbags struck people with sharp objects, and eye injuries were among the most serious. You should find out if there has been a recall for your vehicle’s airbag. If you receive a recall notice in the problem, make it a point to address the problem as soon as possible. In most instances, replacing an airbag after a recall does not create any expense for owners.
Cervical spine trauma
The blunt force impact of an airbag may cause a person to experience whiplash. More serious cervical spine injuries such as disc displacement or herniation are also possible.
Fetal injury
Airbags have caused injury to fetuses as well as a puncture to the placenta in pregnant women. These injuries could result in losing a pregnancy or a premature delivery.
