Defective Airbag Lawsuits • Defective Airbag Lawyer
Thousands of people have been injured or killed due to manufacturing problems associated with defective airbags. These airbag defects have lead to thousands of defective airbag lawsuits. Airbags are meant to protect drivers from the impact of accidents which can cause serious or fatal injuries. However, airbags themselves have become the cause of serious injuries and even death in some cases. The Carlson Law Firm is currently investigating claims for people injured by defective airbags. If a faulty GM ignition switch or airbag calibration caused your injuries, a defective airbag attorney can help.
What is the problem with GM’s Airbag Calibration?
GM’s problems with airbag deployment stem from a defect with the calibration sensor known as the Sensing and Diagnostic Module (SDM). When it works properly, this sensor should cause the seatbelts to tighten and the airbags to deploy. However, in GM’s trucks and SUVs, the defect prevents airbag and seatbelt deployment just 45 milliseconds after the beginning of a crash.
This defect caused significant injuries and death, as the seatbelts and airbags did not properly deploy in cases of multiple collisions or rollovers. For example, if a vehicle with the SDM defect hit a curb before barreling into a tree, the airbags and seatbelts would fail to deploy if the vehicle did not hit the tree in less than 45 milliseconds after hitting the curb. Airbags that don’t deploy in the time frame necessary to protect vehicle occupants from the impact do not prevent serious injuries during a collision or rollover accident.
Get Help • Free Case Review
If you or someone you love has been seriously injured because of a defective airbag or defective equipment associated with an airbag, contact The Carlson Law Firm to schedule a free consultation.
Affected vehicles include:
All trucks and SUVS (1999-Present) made by:
- Chevrolet
- GMC
- Buick
- Cadillac
- Saturn
- Pontiac
- Oldsmobile
What about GM’s Ignition Switches?
Almost 3 million recalled GM cars have an ignition switch defect which can cause a car engine to slip into the “off” position while the vehicle is in motion. The faulty switch results in the loss of engine power, power steering, anti-lock braking, and airbags. The problem stems from a small part called a “detent plunger”. The detent plunger was designed to keep the ignition switch in the “on” position. However, it was unable to keep the switch from occasionally slipping into the “accessory” (ACC) notch, or “off.”
GM encouraged vehicle owners to lighten their load on the key ring, citing heavy key chains as a reason for the ignition switch slippage. In addition, drivers bumping the ignition and jarring events such as running off the road or potholes lead to ignition switch slippage.
Affected vehicles include:
- Buick
- Lacrosse 2005-2009
- Lucern 2006-2011
- Cadillac
- CTS 2003-2011
- Deville 200-2005
- DTS 2006-2011
- SRX 2004-2006
- Chevrolet
- Camaro 2010-2014
- Cobalt 2005-2010
- HHR 2006-2011
- Impala 2000-2014
- Malibu 1997-2003
- Malibu Classic 2004-2005
- Monte Carlo 2000-2007
- Oldsmobile
- Alero 1999-2004
- Intrigue 1998-2002
- Pontiac
- G5 2007-2010
- Grand Am 1999-2005
- Grand Prix 2004-2008
- Solstice 2006-2010
- Saturn
- Ion 2003-2007
- Sky 2007-2010
What did GM do wrong?
General Motors (GM) recalled millions of vehicles due to an ignition switch defect in 2014. However, the company knew about its faulty ignition switches as early as 2001 and chose to keep customers and regulators in the dark. GM’s flawed ignition switch recall is one of the deadliest auto recalls in history. Because of the defect, 124 people were killed and hundreds more were injured. Ultimately, the recall affected more than 30 million cars to date. While a bankruptcy filing shielded the company from lawsuits prior to 2009, a ruling by the Supreme Court now allows the several hundred remaining claims against GM to be sent to state courts for resolution or trial.
GM also knew about the dangers of the defects in the calibration sensors. A team of software engineers warned GM over 20 years ago that preventing airbag and seatbelt deployment after 45 milliseconds was extremely dangerous. Though the small car division of GM increased the time to 150 milliseconds, the truck division ignored the warning. Rather than recalling and repairing vehicles with the defect, GM concealed its knowledge of the defective airbags, putting thousands of people at risk for serious or fatal injuries.
If you were in an auto accident and your airbags failed to deploy, leaving you seriously injured, you may be eligible for compensation. Contact al lawyer today for more information on defective airbag lawsuits. A knowledgeable, experienced attorney can advise you on your rights.
GM Defective Airbag Lawsuits
General Motors knowingly put drivers in harm’s way for more than 20 years by not recalling millions of vehicles for faulty airbag calibration and defective ignition switches. They concealed these defects and continued to promote the defective vehicles as safe and reliable, despite knowing otherwise.
Lawsuits are a method of obtaining fair compensation and justice when someone has suffered an injury by another person or company that causes financial burdens, physical harm or death. In the case of airbags, there have already been millions of participants in various individual and class action lawsuits. These cases are against both manufacturers and companies that used defective airbags in their vehicles.
Elements of GM Defective Airbag Lawsuits:
Negligence – This is a standard feature of defective product lawsuits. The consumer has a right to expect that products will be safe, function as promised and not cause harm to the user. If there are negligence based defects in product design, manufacture or installation, and those defects result in product failure leading to harm or death, a lawsuit may be a proper response.
Fair Compensation – Airbag injuries can range from small cuts to death. Fair compensation for airbag injuries can include all expenses such as emergency medical treatment at the scene, hospital fees, payment to doctors, nurses, and other medical care personnel, rehabilitation costs, special equipment, job retraining, lost income and other financial losses. If the injured person dies, survivors may file airbag lawsuits for personal losses of guardianship, companionship, and consortium, and for financial losses their loved one would have provided, such as income and future inheritance.
Product Liability – Product liability refers to a manufacturer or seller being liable for placing a defective product into the hands of a consumer. Responsibility for a product defect that causes injury lies with all sellers of the product in the distribution chain.
How are GM Airbags Failing?
In many cases because of faulty GM ignition switches, airbags did not deploy or deployed too late. Because ignition switches can shift from on to off, it could shut off the engine while driving, thus preventing airbags from deploying. In vehicles with defective calibration sensors, the airbags and seatbelts did not deploy after 45 milliseconds of a crash, causing serious injuries and death.
The National Highway Transportation Safety Association (NHTSA) found that from 1990 to 2007, the deaths of 284 Americans, including 180 children, were due to a defective airbag. Thousands of non-fatal airbag injuries also occurred. If you suffered an injury or a loved one was killed by a defective airbag, contact The Carlson Law Firm today. A defective airbag attorney from our firm can help you get the compensation you deserve.
Defective Airbag Injuries
For all the good they can do, airbags can and do fail to perform properly. For example, they can fail to activate fully when there’s a crash, or they may deploy by mistake. When an airbag doesn’t deploy in a traffic accident, the people in the vehicle may be seriously injured or even killed.
Airbags are estimated to have contributed to a reduction in accident fatalities by up to 30 percent. Although airbags are meant to improve the safety of vehicle occupants, defective airbags can also increase the risk of injuries. Some of the injuries vehicle drivers and passengers could endure from an airbag malfunction may include:
- Cervical spinal cord injury
- Shrapnel injury
- Facial trauma
- Eye injuries
- Rib fractures
- Head injury
- Burn injuries caused by the chemicals used to inflate airbags
- Dislocated and fractured shoulders
- Premature rupture of membranes in pregnant women
- Death
While proper function is vital to offering optimum safety during an accident, defective airbags can injure occupants if designed improperly, manufactured inadequately or not installed correctly.
What is the Importance of Crash Sensors?
Malfunctioning crash sensors sometimes lead to airbag deployment. Defective crash sensors can fail to function properly because of bad wiring, faulty electronic control unit or poor design and testing of the vehicle’s crash-worthiness. In some instances, one airbag will deploy for one vehicle occupant while another will fail to protect a passenger or driver in another portion of the car. Manufacturers may even cut corners when it comes to crash sensors, providing an inadequate number throughout the vehicle or by using sensors that fail to deploy airbags during a collision.
New technology can determine whether there was a malfunction with the airbags. Consequently, the information housed in crash sensors is important for the defective airbag attorney pursuing your claim.
Why You Should File a Defective Airbag Lawsuit
You don’t have to suffer in silence, and it’s important to realize that you are not to blame for your injuries. GM was well aware of its faulty ignition switches and calibration sensors as early as 2001. In addition, the company had knowledge of the defective airbags well before it initiated a recall.
Further, GM acknowledges its requirement to pay substantial compensation to individuals injured or killed in failed ignition switch accidents. Obtaining the proper compensation for yourself or your family requires product liability lawyers to ensure the automaker is held accountable for their actions.
How A Defective Airbag Attorney at The Carlson Law Firm Can Help
Product-related injuries are traumatic experiences. It can be challenging to determine who may be liable for your injuries, medical costs, and other damages. Knowing when to contact an airbag recall lawyer to handle your product liability claim can help you receive fair compensation for your injuries.
Our experienced attorneys, professional consultants, investigative team and caring staff will help you uncover answers to the questions surrounding your airbag malfunction injuries. Further, we can help you seek just compensation for your injuries and loss.