Airbags save thousands of lives each year, but the force required to inflate them instantly can also cause severe harm. When an airbag deploys during a crash, it inflates at incredibly high speeds. That rapid impact can cause chemical burns, facial fractures, concussions, and severe soft tissue damage.
If you or a loved one suffered airbag injuries after a collision in South Carolina, the legal team at David R. Price, Jr., P.A. can help. You may be facing mounting medical bills, lost time from work, and lingering pain. Understanding your rights helps you secure the financial support you need to recover.
Do Airbags Hurt? How They Work and Why
Airbags can hurt people, and the reason is simple: Raw speed. An airbag is a folded bag with a small chemical charge behind it. When crash sensors feel a hard impact, that charge burns fast and fills the bag with gas almost instantly.
That blast of gas is what saves lives. It keeps people’s heads and chests from slamming into the steering wheel, dashboard, or glass windshield. But a person’s body is often moving toward the airbag at the same moment the airbag is rushing toward them. The result is that people and airbags can meet in the middle at high speed.
The chemical reaction also gives off heat and a puff of hot gas and dust. That is why some people get burns or breathing trouble right after a crash. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, airbags cut driver deaths in frontal crashes by about 29 percent. They work best when drivers also wear a seat belt and sit at least 10 inches from the steering wheel.
Common Airbag Injuries and Symptoms
Airbag impacts can affect many parts of the body, ranging from mild surface wounds to deep internal trauma. Recognizing these airbag injury symptoms early is vital for both your health and any legal claim you file. Here are some of these injuries:
- Burns and scrapes. The bag surface and hot gas can leave friction burns and chemical burns on the face, chest, and forearms. Look for red, raw, or blistered skin.
- Face and eye injuries. The impact can cut the face, bruise the eyes, and scratch people’s corneas. Blurry vision, eye pain, or light sensitivity are warning signs.
- Chest and internal injuries. A hard hit to the chest can bruise the heart, injure the lungs, or cause internal bleeding. Chest pain, trouble breathing, or a fast heartbeat need care right away.
- Head and brain injuries. Even without hitting the glass, the jolt from a person’s sudden stop when meeting the airbag can cause a concussion. Headaches, dizziness, nausea, confusion, or trouble sleeping can show up hours or days later.
- Neck and back injuries. Whiplash, disc damage, and neck or back sprains are common. Stiffness, tingling, or shooting pain may build over time.
- Hearing damage. The airbag going off is very loud. Some people experience ringing in the ears or permanent hearing loss.
Not every airbag injury symptom shows up at the scene. Adrenaline can hide pain for a day or more. This is why it is important to see a doctor after any crash, even one that felt minor, and keep every medical record.
Can Airbags Break Bones?
Yes, airbags can break bones. Hands and wrists sometimes break when drivers grip the wheel during a crash. The airbag hits a driver’s arms first, and can bend them back. Doctors even have a name for this: “Airbag fractures” of the wrist and forearm.
Ribs are another common skeletal fracture. The airbag can strike the chest with great force, and thin rib bones may give way. Broken ribs hurt with every breath and can harm the lungs underneath. Drivers and front passengers may also break their noses, cheekbones, or the small bones around the eye.
People who sit too close to the wheel face a higher risk. So do shorter drivers, older adults, and children in the front seat. That is why kids under 13 years old should ride in the back. If you have sharp pain, swelling, or trouble moving a limb after a crash, go to the doctor and get an X-ray. A broken bone that is missed early can heal wrong and cause problems for years.
Defective Airbags and the Takata Recall
Some airbags hurt people because they were built incorrectly. The clearest example is the Takata recall, the largest auto recall in United States history.
Takata used a chemical called ammonium nitrate to inflate its airbags. NHTSA determined that the root cause of the problem was airbags that used ammonium nitrate-based propellant without a chemical drying agent. Over time, heat and moisture break that chemical down, which causes it to explode with more force than intended. When the airbag then fires, it can fire with so much force that the metal canister can burst and shoot shrapnel into the driver and passengers.
There have been 28 deaths in the U.S. due to Takata airbags since 2009, according to NHTSA, including one as recently as September 2024. More than 400 people have been injured. The recall has grown to include 67 million airbags from more than 42 million vehicles in the U.S.
You can check whether your car has a recalled airbag for free. Find your 17-digit VIN on the dashboard or driver door, then run it through the NHTSA recall lookup tool. If your car is on the list, the repair is free at the dealer. If you have already been injured by a defective airbag, then you should talk to a car accident lawyer before you accept any settlement.
Who Is Liable for Airbag Injuries?
The first path to recovery of damages is the at-fault driver. If another driver caused the wreck, that driver is responsible for the harm the crash caused, including airbag injuries. Their insurance should cover your bills, lost pay, and pain.
The second path to recovery is product liability. If the airbag itself was defective, you may have a claim against the automaker, the airbag maker, or others in the supply chain. These claims do not require you to prove the company was careless. Under South Carolina law, you must show that the product was unsafe and that it caused your injury. Please note that not all airbag injuries are not caused by a defective airbag.
South Carolina uses modified comparative negligence. Under S.C. Code § 15-38-15, you can still recover money if you were partly at fault for the collision, as long as you were not more than 50 percent to blame. Your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault. If you are found to be more than 50 percent at fault, then you get nothing. Insurance companies know this rule and often try to shift blame onto you. That is one reason to have a lawyer speak for you.
Compensation Available After an Airbag Injury
You can seek money for both your out-of-pocket financial losses and your pain and suffering. In a strong airbag injury claim, those items of damages can add up quickly.
Common types of compensation include:
- Medical bills, past and future, including surgery, X-rays, and physical therapy.
- Lost wages if your injury kept you from working.
- Lost earning power if you cannot return to the same job.
- Pain and suffering, including physical scarring and burns.
- Property damage to your vehicle.
In South Carolina, you usually have three years from the date of the crash to file a lawsuit. If you miss the deadline, then a court will likely throw out your case, no matter how badly you were hurt.
Contact Our Car Accident Lawyers
Airbag injuries require prompt medical care and clear legal guidance. Do not let insurance companies push you into a quick settlement that pays less than your full medical costs and pain.
Contact David R. Price, Jr., P.A. today at 864-271-2636 to schedule a free consultation. We examine your vehicle, gather medical documentation, and fight for the compensation you need. We serve every part of the city of Greenville, including these zip codes: 29601, 29602, 29605, 29606, 29607, 29609, 29611, 29612, 29614, 29615, and 29616. We also proudly serve the rest of the Upstate, including, but not limited to, Spartanburg, Anderson, Laurens, Pickens, and Oconee Counties.
FAQs
+ What is the average airbag injury settlement?
The value depends on how bad your injury is, your medical bills, lost pay, and who was at fault. Serious injuries like burns, broken bones, or traumatic brain injuries often settle for higher amounts then other types of injuries. A free case review is the only way to learn what your claim may be worth.
+ What to do after getting injured by an airbag?
Common injuries from airbag malfunctions include facial fractures, eye damage, spine and neck injuries, burns, and hearing loss. After an airbag-related injury, immediately seek medical attention, keep the airbag and vehicle, and document your injuries and incident details. Talk to a car accident lawyer before talking to insurance adjusters.
+ How long do airbag injuries take to heal?
Recovery time depends on the injury. Bruises, scrapes, and minor burns often heal in one to three weeks. Soft tissue injuries may not appear right away and can take days or even weeks to show up, and sometimes require physical therapy. Hairline fractures take time to heal, while more complicated bone fractures may require surgery. Make sure to attend every follow-up visit so your medical records document the length and extent of your recovery period.