Can I Sue If My Airbag Failed to Deploy in a Crash?

Airbags are supposed to protect you. When they fail, the results can be devastating. If you walked away from a car crash with serious injuries because your airbag didn’t deploy when it should have, you’re probably wondering who’s responsible and whether you can do anything about it.

The short answer is yes—you may be able to sue. But airbag failure cases are complicated. You’re not just dealing with a car accident claim. You’re taking on a product defect case that could involve the vehicle manufacturer, the airbag company, or both.

How Airbags Are Supposed to Work

Modern cars have sensors that detect when you’re in a collision severe enough to need airbag protection. These sensors measure the force and angle of impact. When they detect a crash, they trigger the airbag inflator, which uses a chemical reaction to fill the airbag with gas in about 1/20th of a second.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, airbags have saved more than 50,000 lives since the 1990s. They work by cushioning your head and chest during impact, preventing you from hitting the steering wheel, dashboard, or windshield.

But airbags only work if they actually deploy.

Why Do Airbags Fail to Deploy?

Several defects can cause airbag failure:

1. Design defects: The airbag system was poorly designed from the start. This could mean sensors that don’t detect certain types of crashes or deployment mechanisms that don’t work properly.
2. Manufacturing defects: Even if the design is good, mistakes during production can create faulty airbags. This might include improperly installed sensors, bad wiring, or defective inflators.
3. Sensor malfunction: The crash sensors failed to detect the impact or didn’t trigger the airbag deployment system when they should have.

Sometimes airbags are part of a larger recall affecting millions of vehicles.

The Takata airbag recall is the largest automotive recall in U.S. history, involving 67 million defective airbags. If your vehicle had a recall notice that you weren’t aware of, or if you weren’t given a chance to get it fixed before your accident, that strengthens your case.

Can I Really Sue If My Airbag Didn’t Deploy?

Yes, but you need to prove several things:

You have to show that the airbag should have deployed based on the severity of the crash.

Not every fender-bender requires airbag deployment. The force and angle of impact matter. A low-speed rear-end collision might not trigger airbags, even though you were injured. But a front-end crash at 30 mph should absolutely deploy them.

You need to prove the airbag failure was due to a defect, not damage you caused or modifications you made to the vehicle.

If you disconnected the airbag system or had aftermarket work done that interfered with it, you probably can’t sue the manufacturer.

You have to show that the airbag failure caused or made your injuries worse.

This is where documentation matters. Your medical records need to show injuries consistent with hitting something you wouldn’t have hit if the airbag had deployed—like dashboard injuries, steering wheel chest trauma, or windshield head injuries.

Who Can I Sue for a Defective Airbag?

Product liability claims can involve multiple parties:

• Vehicle manufacturer: The company that made your car is responsible for ensuring all safety systems work properly
• Airbag manufacturer: Many car companies don’t make their own airbags—they buy them from suppliers like Takata, ZF-TRW, or ARC Automotive
• Dealership: If you bought a used car from a dealer who failed to disclose known airbag defects or recall notices
• Repair shops: If a mechanic’s work damaged or disabled your airbag system

In Ohio, product liability claims follow strict liability rules. This means you don’t have to prove the manufacturer was careless or negligent. You just need to show the product was defective and that defect caused your injuries.

What Evidence Do I Need for an Airbag Failure Lawsuit?

Building a strong airbag failure case requires thorough documentation:

1. Preserve the vehicle: Don’t repair your car before it’s inspected. The vehicle is critical evidence. Experts need to examine the airbag system and download data from your car’s event data recorder.
2. Medical records: Your injuries tell the story of what happened. Photos, emergency room reports, and follow-up treatment records all matter.
3. Crash documentation: Police reports, witness statements, and photos of vehicle damage help establish crash severity.
4. Check for recalls: Find out if your vehicle’s airbags were under recall using your VIN on the NHTSA website.

Expert testimony from engineers who can inspect the airbag system is essential in these cases.

What Compensation Can I Get?

If you win an airbag failure lawsuit, you may recover:

• Medical expenses for treating injuries that could have been prevented
• Future medical costs for ongoing care or surgeries
• Lost wages from time off work
• Loss of earning capacity if you can’t return to your old job
• Pain and suffering from the injuries
• Emotional distress from the trauma
• Punitive damages if the manufacturer knew about the defect and concealed it

Significant airbag injury settlements can range from hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars, depending on the severity of your injuries.

Your settlement amount depends on:

• How badly you were hurt
• Whether you have permanent disabilities
• The strength of evidence showing the airbag was defective
• Whether the manufacturer knew about problems and failed to fix them

How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit in Ohio?

Ohio’s statute of limitations for product liability claims is two years from the date of your accident. Miss this deadline, and you lose your right to sue, regardless of how strong your case is.

There’s also a statute of repose that bars claims filed more than 10 years after the product was first sold. These timing rules are why you shouldn’t wait to talk to a lawyer.

Insurance Companies and Airbag Failure Claims

Insurance companies often try to minimize airbag failure claims. They might argue the crash wasn’t severe enough to require deployment, your injuries would have happened anyway, or you damaged the airbag system yourself.

Don’t give a recorded statement to any insurance company before talking to a lawyer. Anything you say can be used to deny or reduce your claim.

Take Action Before It’s Too Late

Airbag failures are serious. When a safety system that’s supposed to protect you makes your injuries worse, the manufacturer should be held accountable. But these cases don’t get easier with time.

If your airbag failed to deploy in a crash and you suffered injuries as a result, contact The Jones Firm right away. We’ll review your case, help you understand your options, and fight to get you the compensation you deserve.

Call now for a free consultation.