Airbags are meant to keep the occupants of a vehicle safe in the event of a crash. However, the airbags themselves may cause even more serious injury than the crash. There have been numerous instances of defective airbags that have caused severe harm, or even death, for drivers and their passengers.  A recent example of potentially defective airbags comes in a series of lawsuits against ARC Automotive that allege that the airbag inflators may explode upon impact, injuring passengers who are struck by metal fragments.

ARC Automotive is one of the largest airbag suppliers in the United States. According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, there are over 50 million airbags produced by ARC Automotive that are in use in American cars.

Airbags Can Injure Passengers When They Forcefully Deploy

The danger of airbags is that they deploy with extreme force. An airbag inflator is a metal canister that is filled with the highly volatile gas called ammonium nitrate. This chemical has been blamed for several large explosions, including the mass disaster in Beirut when it was improperly stored. The resulting explosion blew out numerous city blocks and killed hundreds of people.

An airbag deploys when the vehicle’s sensor detects a collision. The airbag will inflate so long as the car is traveling at more than 10 to 15 mph. The way that an airbag works is that a mechanical switch is flipped when there is a mass shift that closes an electrical contact that tells the sensors that a crash has occurred. A computerized system controls everything connected to the airbag.

Airbags May Use Highly Explosive Nitrogen Gas

Airbags are inflated by nitrogen gas, which is activated in the event of a collision. Airbags are supposed to automatically deflate as soon as they make contact with the passenger. The nitrogen gas is supposed to work with such force that the airbag fully inflates within one-twentieth of a second. Because of this extreme force, the airbag itself can be the danger in some cases.

Defective Airbags Have Previously Led to Large Payouts

Going back in history, one of the larger Mass tort cases of all time involved defective airbags made by the Takata Corporation. In this case, tens of millions of airbags made by the company were recalled because the inflators exploded. In the United States alone, 22 people were known to have been killed by exploding airbags. Takata airbags were damaged by long-term exposure to heat and humidity. Eventually, Takata was forced into bankruptcy by the hundreds of millions of dollars a liability that it faced in a mass tort lawsuit. The company needed to set up a claims Fund in order to pay the large number of claimants. In addition, the vehicle manufacturers that use the Takata airbags also paid out hundreds of millions of dollars to injured consumers.

In the case of ARC Automotive, its airbag uses phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate. Again, we cannot overstate exactly how volatile and potentially dangerous ammonium nitrate can be to those in the vicinity when it has any type of reaction. The problem is that companies like ARC Automotive used ammonium nitrate because it was cost-efficient and it boosted their own profits. Now, companies use a more stable and less dangerous form of gas to inflate the airbags. However, there are countless cars that still have airbags that use the old and volatile ammonium nitrate for a propellant.

Common Injuries from Exploding Airbags

Exploding airbags can cause the following injuries:

• Punctures
• Lacerations
• Broken facial bones
• Internal injuries
• Scarring and disfigurement
• Eye injuries and vision damage

In some cases, including the one described below, injuries from exploding ARC Automotive airbags have resulted in death.

ARC Automotive Airbags Have Exploded on Multiple Occasions

ARC Automotive airbags have been connected to several deaths. In one of these cases, which is the subject of a wrongful death lawsuit, a Michigan woman was killed in a relatively minor car accident when her airbag explosively deployed. Instead of being killed by the impact of the accident, she died when she was struck by metal fragments from the exploding airbag. Her family is not only suing ARC Automotive, but it is also suing General Motors (the manufacturer of the Chevy Traverse that she was driving) and Toyoda Gosei North America (a supplier to the automotive industry). In a product liability action, you have the ability to suit everyone who is in the stream of commerce, meaning that they played a role in either the manufacturer or the sale of the car. You can sue suppliers and companies that made the individual parts.

Airbag Manufacturers Are Facing Individual and Class Action Lawsuits

Airbag Manufacturers such as ARC Automotive are currently being sued in a large class action lawsuit. These court cases allege that the airbag manufacturers knew full well of the danger and chose to conceal it from the general public. The cases have been filed on behalf of owners of certain vehicles that may use airbags with exploding inflators. One of the major problems is that plaintiff attorneys have not conclusively identified which models and lots use defective ARC Automotive airbags.

Currently, there are also a small handful of product liability cases that have been filed by people who have suffered injuries or families that have lost loved ones to exploding airbags.  There have been seven known instances in which ARC Automotive airbags have exploded. However, instead of taking strong action to recall the affected vehicles and replace the airbags, vehicle manufacturers have dragged their feet. They have only recalled a very small and limited number of cars that were of the same batch as the ones with the exploding airbags. These vehicle manufacturers are overlooking the larger problem and potential danger that drivers and their passengers may face.

Who Can You Sue in a Defective Airbag Case?

If you or a loved one have been injured by an exploding airbag, you may be entitled to substantial financial compensation. Simply stated, airbags should not explode under any circumstances. The fact that they do is indicative of a serious defect that could mean that the following may be liable for your injuries:

• The company that manufactured the airbag
• The supplier that sold the airbag to the car manufacturer
• The company that manufactured your car
• The dealer that sold you the car

Damages in a Defective Airbag Case

You may be entitled to the following damages in a product liability case:

• The complete cost of your medical care
• Lost wages for the time that you missed from work
• Pain and suffering for the post-accident experience that you endured and will continue to endure
• Scarring and disfigurement from your injuries
• Loss of enjoyment of life

If your loved one died from an exploding airbag, your family may be able to file a wrongful death lawsuit against any of the entities mentioned above. Generally, you would file a product liability lawsuit against any potential defendant, and the court would figure out which defendant must contribute what to the verdict that you win.

Your first step should be to contact an experienced product liability lawyer to discuss your legal options. A product liability lawyer works for you on a contingency basis, meaning that they will not charge you any money up front, they are only paid if you win your case. If you are seeking a Camp Lejeune water contamination lawsuit attorney, contact us.