Car accidents can result in many injuries, from minor bumps and bruises to more severe damage. However, many people may overlook an injury caused by a vehicle’s standard safety features.
Airbags, though they save lives and prevent some catastrophic injuries during crashes, deploy with such force that they can sometimes cause injuries themselves — including concussions.
While your vehicle’s airbag can cause such an incident, that doesn’t mean you cannot hold the party responsible for the wreck accountable.
A lawyer can explain the steps to follow after your accident so you know what to expect and how to seek compensation.
As with other types of car accident injuries, an experienced Bellingham car accident lawyer can tremendously improve the outcome of a legal matter.
Finding the right legal representation will give you confidence as you go about solving the issues you face following your airbag deployment concussion accident.
If you suffered a concussion from the deployment of your vehicle’s airbag in an accident caused by another party, you can take legal action to pursue compensation.
Continue reading below to learn more, and contact a car accident lawyer today to schedule a consultation.
Overview of Airbag Deployments & Concussions
Though airbags are an essential safety feature in all modern vehicles and protect drivers and passengers during car accidents, they can cause physical damage.
The forceful deployment of airbags commonly causes concussions with long-lasting effects.
Knowing more information about vehicle airbags, the potential injuries they can cause when deploying, and what to do if you suffer a concussion due to one in an accident is important when looking at your options to seek a resolution.
In addition to knowing more about your injury, learning about what a skilled car accident lawyer can do for you will help you prepare for the process that will follow.
Understanding Airbag Deployment Concussions
To understand the significance of the injury you suffered, concussions, the symptoms that come along with them, and what long-term effects you can expect.
In addition to learning more about your injury, you can also use this information to help you and your lawyer build a case to seek compensation from the party responsible for your accident.
What Is a Concussion?
Concussions are traumatic brain injuries that result from jolts or impacts to the head. Though doctors may classify concussions as “mild” brain injuries, they can carry long-term effects.
The deployment of airbags in car accidents can happen suddenly and with enough impact to cause this type of injury, making it important to know the symptoms and potential short-term and long-term effects.
Concussion Symptoms
Symptoms of a concussion can vary from one person to another.
Some symptoms may appear right away and others may develop over time:
- Severe headaches
- Pressure
- Dizziness or trouble maintaining balance
- Memory loss or disorientation
- Sensitivity to light and sounds
- Blurred vision
- Slurred speech
- Drowsiness
Suffering any of the symptoms listed above may indicate a concussion. After a concussion, follow your doctor’s orders and contact a car accident lawyer who has experience helping concussion victims.
Severity & Potential Long-Term Impact of Concussions
Concussions can have lingering effects. Suffering one concussion can also make someone more prone to future concussions.
Post-concussion syndrome can result in victims suffering from the concussion effects for months or even years afterward. Understanding these potential long-term effects makes it even more imperative to explore your options for obtaining compensation.
How Airbag Deployment Can Cause a Concussion
Vehicle airbags deploy in a fraction of a second, and while this can cushion the impact of a crash, it can also injure the person making contact with it.
In accidents that cause the car’s airbag to deploy, the driver or passenger’s head often snaps back or forward. Though the airbag functions as designed, the impact can inadvertently injure the individual it is designed to protect. The driver who caused the accident can face legal action to pay for the injury.
Driver Negligence in Airbag-Related Injury Accidents
A vehicle airbag often deploys in crashes where another driver’s wrongful actions or negligence caused an accident. If another party’s speeding, driving recklessly, or failing to follow traffic laws causes the accident, the responsible party may need to pay for the damages.
A lawyer who understands more about driver negligence and its relation to car accidents can help you take legal action.
Negligence in Car Accidents
The legal principle of driver negligence comes into play when a driver fails to uphold the duty of care owed to others. Reckless actions like excessive speeding, running red lights, distracted driving, or driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol can all fall into the category of driver negligence.
Negligence is often a primary factor in car accidents, as such behavior directly contributes to crashes and injuries. When a driver’s negligence causes an accident, they can be held legally liable for injuries and other damage — including injuries caused by airbag deployment.
You must prove negligence on the part of the responsible party to pursue compensation.
Common Scenarios Resulting in Airbag Deployment Injuries
Airbag deployment can result from a wide range of relatively minor and progressively more severe car accidents. Injuries often happen from airbag deployment in these accidents.
Some of the more common scenarios that result in airbag-related injuries include:
- Rear-End Collisions
- Head-On Collisions
- T-Bone Accidents
In all the accident types listed above, the common factor is the sudden — and, in some cases, completely unexpected — impact that forcefully jolts the occupants while the airbag is deployed.
If the vehicle’s driver or passengers suffered an injury by the airbag in an accident caused by another party, they can hold the party who caused the wreck accountable.
Why You Need a Lawyer After an Airbag Deployment Concussion
An experienced lawyer should handle any car accident injury case—especially one involving a concussion caused by the deployment of your own vehicle’s airbag.
A concussion can lead to medical bills, lost income from being unable to work, and potentially long-term health issues. A skilled personal injury lawyer will have experience helping injured people navigate the complicated legal landscape, including dealing with insurance companies and building a case to pursue compensation.
Establishing Liability
You must establish fault on the other driver’s part to recover compensation following a car accident. A capable attorney will work to prove negligence on the part of the other party by gathering evidence to support your claim that their actions directly led to your airbag-related injury.
By linking the other driver’s behavior to your injuries, your personal injury attorney will strengthen your case, supporting that you are rightfully owed fair monetary compensation for the physical and financial harm you have suffered.
With the right lawyer working on your case, you establish a solid opportunity to reach the outcome you deserve.
Maximizing Potential Compensation
Suffering a concussion from the deployment of a vehicle airbag will likely leave you dealing with not only the physical effects of the injury itself but also the financial ramifications that will follow.
Immediate and potentially ongoing medical treatment can cost thousands of dollars, creating a sizable financial burden you are forced to carry.
While insurance companies and other parties may pressure you to accept early lowball settlement offers, you can’t afford to sell yourself short and take less than the compensation you deserve. An experienced lawyer will help you avoid this common pitfall and take the appropriate steps to maximize your compensation.
Building a Strong Case
Building a strong legal case is vital to a successful pursuit of compensation for an airbag deployment concussion. Your lawyer will work closely with you to learn the details of your accident, investigate the circumstances that led to it, and put together a game plan to identify the liable party (or parties) and take the appropriate steps to seek the outcome you need.
By collecting all supportive evidence and helping you handle communication and negotiation with insurance companies, your personal injury attorney will build a compelling case that you deserve fair compensation to cover the physical and financial damages you have incurred.
Having a highly trained legal professional working on your case can help you avoid potential obstacles and stay on the right path to seek a favorable result.
Pursuing Compensation Through Litigation
Suppose negotiations to reach an out-of-court settlement fail to yield results. You may need to seek fair compensation through litigation after your airbag deployment concussion.
Insurance companies can be helpful but will always look first and foremost to their bottom line, often resulting in lowball settlement offers and hardball tactics. If these discussions bear no fruit, your attorney may advise you to go to court to pursue the compensation you need.
When litigation is the best course of action, you must file your claim within the statute of limitations. This is the deadline by which you must file a lawsuit for your car accident claim. Statutes of limitations vary by jurisdiction, so follow your lawyer’s lead.
Trust an Experienced Car Accident Lawyer for Help
Christopher C. Walton, Bellingham Car Accident Lawyer
Suffering an injury in any traffic accident can saddle you with a wide range of challenges. In an accident where your airbag deployed and gave you a concussion, you need to explore your options to seek compensation for the harm you suffered.
A skilled Bellingham personal injury lawyer will handle all communication and negotiations with insurance companies and take your case to trial if necessary.
A knowledgeable car accident attorney will protect your rights and prioritize your best interests as they pursue the best available outcome.