When an airbag fires, it can protect you and injure you at the same moment. Attorney Brian White Personal Injury Lawyers has helped crash victims in Houston for over 20 years. If you need an airbag injury lawyer in Bellaire, we are ready.
A Bellaire car accident lawyer from our firm examines every factor in a crash, including whether airbag deployment contributed to your injuries. Insurance companies rarely acknowledge that connection. We raise it in every case.
Airbag deployment can result in facial burns, fractured ribs, corneal damage, and traumatic brain injury. The medical costs pile up quickly, and insurance companies move just as fast to minimize what they owe. That is where we come in.
How Airbags Work and Why Injuries Still Happen
Some of the worst injuries in a crash do not come from the other vehicle–they come from inside the car. An airbag deploys at speeds of up to 200 miles per hour, and at that velocity, contact with a human face or chest produces fractures, lacerations, and corneal damage.
The propellants that power airbag deployment, including sodium azide and potassium nitrate, release hot gases when ignited by an electronic sensor during a collision. Skin exposed to those gases can develop burns or rashes within hours. Lungs irritated by the particulates may not show symptoms until the next day.
Insurance adjusters see airbag injuries constantly, and they have a standard response ready: treat it as minor, dispute the treatment, and move fast before the injured person has legal help. A Bellaire personal injury lawyer at our firm gets involved early specifically to stop that process before it costs you.
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Common Airbag Injuries After a Bellaire Crash
Airbag injuries touch different parts of the body depending on where each bag deploys, the angle of impact, and how close someone is sitting to the steering wheel or dashboard. Frontal and side-curtain airbags create completely different injury profiles.
Injuries our clients have reported after airbag deployment include:
- Facial fractures, lacerations, and abrasions from direct contact with the bag
- Eye injuries, including corneal abrasions and retinal damage
- Traumatic brain injury from the force of impact
- Broken ribs, sternum fractures, and chest trauma
- Burns and skin irritation from deployment gases
- Hearing loss or ringing in the ears from the sudden, loud deployment
Certain injuries are obvious at the scene, but trauma to the brain and chest can progress gradually. A physician’s evaluation after a crash catches those issues early and creates the medical documentation your attorney will need to establish the full scope of your injuries.
Bellaire Airbag Injury Lawyer Near Me (713) 500-5000
When Airbag Deployment Timing Is the Problem
Not every airbag injury comes from a bag that deployed correctly. Some airbags fail to deploy at all, which leaves the driver or passenger without the protection the system exists to provide. In those crashes, head, neck, and chest injuries can be far more severe.
Some airbags fire when they should not. A minor rear-end collision or hitting a pothole can trigger a faulty sensor, causing the bag to deploy at full speed into an unsuspecting driver. Sensor failures and software defects cause this, and the resulting injuries come entirely from the deployment itself.
Both scenarios can point to a defect in the airbag system. Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Chapter 82 gives injury victims the right to hold manufacturers and component suppliers accountable when a product defect causes or worsens their injuries. Our firm examines this avenue in every airbag case we handle.
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Defective Airbags and Manufacturer Liability in Bellaire
Defective airbag cases rest on a separate legal theory from a standard car accident claim. The Takata airbag recall, which affected tens of millions of vehicles and most major manufacturers, showed how one component failure could send metal fragments into the faces and necks of drivers and passengers.
When a defect is the source of an airbag injury, the responsible party may be the vehicle manufacturer, the airbag supplier, or a third-party component maker. Product liability law in Texas holds those parties accountable without requiring the injured person to prove the driver did anything wrong.
Our firm pursues manufacturer claims when the evidence supports them. That process includes reviewing recall databases, pulling service and inspection records, and consulting engineers who can identify system failures. Cases like these require a team prepared to take on large corporations.
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What to Do After an Airbag Injury in Bellaire
The first thing to do after an airbag injury is get medical care, even if you feel temporarily fine. Our firm connects clients with specialists who treat on a lien basis, so no out-of-pocket costs stand in the way. A medical evaluation creates the record your claim will need.
Preserve any evidence connected to the crash if you can. Photograph the deployed airbags, the vehicle interior, your injuries, and the scene itself. Do not allow the vehicle to be repaired or scrapped before it can be inspected. The airbag system may be evidence.
Do not speak to an insurance adjuster before calling an attorney. Adjusters reach out fast, and recorded statements are used to limit what you recover. When a manufacturer or airbag supplier shares liability, an early settlement with one party can eliminate your ability to pursue the others.
Time Limits Under Texas Law
Texas law places deadlines on filing many personal injury lawsuits. In many cases, a two–year deadline may apply, although exceptions can affect the time available to file. In addition, in product liability lawsuits such as these, there is a statute of repose that restricts a lawsuit if it’s been more than 15 years since the product was sold.
If you wait too long, you may lose the right to pursue compensation in court. Even if you are not sure whether you have a claim, speaking with a Bellaire airbag injury attorney early can help you find out what timeline may apply to your situation.
What Your Bellaire Airbag Injury Lawyer Will Do for You
Attorney Brian White is board certified in personal injury law, a distinction earned by only a small percentage of Texas lawyers. His board certification reflects extensive experience, proven results, and specialized knowledge in serious injury litigation. It requires demonstrated courtroom skill, not just years of practice. When an insurer refuses to be fair, this firm does not hand the case off. We take it to trial.
60% of our cases settle at the maximum policy limits. An insurer gets there when the attorney on the other side has board certification, a trial-ready file, and no interest in a discount. We have never referred a case out because an insurer refused to be fair.
A large share of new clients come from referrals, which reflects what people experience working with this firm. You will always speak to a real person when you call, and our team responds fast. We treat every airbag injury case with the serious legal attention it requires.
Call Attorney Brian White After an Airbag Injury in Bellaire
The emergency room visit is just the beginning. Airbag injuries develop over days and weeks, and the financial toll follows the same delayed timeline. Getting legal help early means someone is already building your case while the full picture of your injuries comes into focus.
Attorney Brian White Personal Injury Lawyers has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for people across the Houston area. If you need a Bellaire airbag injury lawyer, our team is ready to step in from the first call.
Call our office, and a real person answers. We will give you a clear picture of your claim and get to work.
Call or Text (713) 500-5000 or Complete a Case Evaluation Form