Arm Fracture from Airbag Deployment
I’m Ed Smith, a personal injury lawyer in Sacramento. Airbags have been one of the most significant developments since the inception of motor vehicles. Without a doubt, airbags have been a vital safety boost to everyone riding in a car. According to a study published in Bloomberg:
- Driver deaths in car accidents have been reduced by about 30%.
- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) states that, combined with proper seatbelt use, the chances of a head injury are reduced by over 80% with airbag use.
- The NHTSA believes that close to 20,000 people are currently alive because of the presence of airbags in their vehicles.
Even though they save lives, there are serious injuries from airbags that families should consider. Unfortunately, airbags can also cause deaths when they deploy.
- In the past 20 years, airbag inflation has killed over 200 people.
- Over 100 of these individuals were children.
A Case Report: Arm Fracture from Airbag Deployment
A case report was published highlighting one of the severe injuries that can result from an airbag. A group of medical professionals put together a report which highlighted an individual who suffered multiple arm fractures as a result of an airbag deployment. The person was sitting in the passenger seat of a car that was in a severe car crash. His airbag deployed. To shield his head from the impact, he put his arm in front of his face. His arm was pinned between his head and the airbag. He was taken to the hospital for further evaluation. An X-ray showed he had sustained three bone fractures in his arm. He had broken both his radius and ulna. Despite his injuries, he may have been spared a head injury because his airbag deployed.
Other Injuries can Result from Airbags
A broken arm is only one of the many different injuries that someone can sustain from an airbag. Some of the other injuries include:
- Facial Injuries: If someone’s face strikes an airbag at high speed, they may suffer facial fractures as a result.
- Burn Injuries: There have been reports of people sustaining burn injuries due to the chemicals used to inflate an airbag.
- Eye Trauma: The chemicals used to inflate an airbag may be released throughout the car. These chemicals can irritate someone’s eyes. Also, someone can sustain eye trauma if his or her face strikes the airbag.
Some of these injuries can be devastating and have numerous long-term consequences.
Watch YouTube Video: U.S. safety regulators report eight deaths, 98 injuries from exploding airbags. Local 12 News reported on injuries caused by airbag deployment.
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Personal Injury Lawyers in Sacramento
I’m Ed Smith, a personal injury lawyer in Sacramento. If you or someone you love has suffered injuries from an airbag deployment, call me at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400. I will be happy to offer friendly, free advice.
I am a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum.
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Image Attribution: The airbags at the beginning of this page was seen first on Unsplash. The image has been printed here with permission
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