The automobile air bag is a wonderful safety device and has undoubtedly saved thousands of lives since its invention. It can also, however, be a killer. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that since 1990, air bag deployment has killed 227 people in low-severity crashes, including 76 drivers, 10 adult passengers, 119 children between the ages of 1 and 11, and 22 infants. In other words, air bags have killed people that would have otherwise lived in an accident without air bags. At the Scanlan Law Group, we have successfully handled a number of high profile air bag cases, and we know what it takes to bring these cases to a successful conclusion.

There are three principal categories of air bag cases. The first involves the automobile manufacturer's failure to install air bags in the vehicle. The second category involves the failure of installed air bags to deploy. The third category involves air bag deployment in low severity crashes that cause injury or death. This category is the most common form of air bag liability case, and can involve either a defect in the design of the air bag, a defect in the manufacture of the air bag, or the manufacturer's failure to include appropriate instructions and warnings regarding the use of the air bag in the vehicle, thus causing the driver or passenger to, for example, fail to use their seat belts or to fail to position themselves appropriately for a possible air bag deployment.

Air bag litigation can be very complex and typically requires the use of expert witnesses-such as an accident reconstruction specialist, kinematics expert, pathologist and others-to prove not only that the air bag was defective, but also that the injury or death was caused by the defective airbag and not the underlying crash. Additionally, the onboard computer systems that are now found in many vehicles contain data that can be crucial to an air bag case.

Because air bag cases are very complex, you need experienced and aggressive attorneys to successfully handle them. The Scanlan Law Group has the necessary experience. We have sued automakers and other entities responsible for air bag injuries, and we are not afraid to take them to trial if one of our clients has been injured. Accordingly, if you or someone you know have sustained an air bag related injury, contact the Scanlan Law Group for a free initial consultation.