Airbag Injuries
Were you the victim of an airbag injury in Fort Worth, Texas? A Fort Worth airbag injury lawyer can help you recover compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
Stephens Law Firm, PLLC has decades of experience in car accidents and product liability law — and has recovered over 100 million for our clients to date.
If you or a loved one is dealing with complications from airbag deployment (or non-deployment) during a crash, contact our Fort Worth personal injury office today by calling us at (817) 420-7000 for your free consultation.
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How Can Stephens Law Firm, PLLC Help Me with My Airbag Injuries in Fort Worth, TX?
Airbags can be your best friend when an accident happens. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that airbags saved 50,457 lives between 1987 and 2017. On the other hand, NHTSA also cautions that airbags are a frequent source of serious injury and even death. If an airbag injured you during a crash, a Fort Worth personal injury lawyer can help.
Stephens Law Firm, PLLC has helped countless injury victims move forward with their lives by obtaining meaningful compensation for their injuries. Founding attorney Jason Stephens has recovered more than $100 million for accident victims. He has even been recognized as a Top 100 Trial Lawyer and a Texas Super Lawyer.
When you choose Stephens Law Firm, PLLC, you can rest assured you will have an attorney to:
- Listen to your story
- Investigate your airbag injuries to gather evidence
- Estimate the full extent of your damages
- Negotiate with the insurance companies and at-fault parties
- Take your case to trial to protect your right to compensation
After a car accident, you can expect insurance companies and their teams of lawyers to swoop in. Don’t waste any time worrying about what to do. Stephens Law Firm, PLLC wants to help you. Contact us today for your free consultation with a Fort Worth personal injury attorney.
What Causes Airbag Injuries?
During a car accident, airbags deploy in 1/20th of a second. This process creates a tremendous amount of force and can cause serious injuries. Tens of millions of airbags have been recalled for exploding or failing to inflate properly, both of which are extremely dangerous.
Some risk factors for an airbag injury include:
- Sitting too close to the airbag
- Coming in direct contact when the airbag is first inflating
- Old age or young age
The impact of an airbag can cause a wide variety of injuries. Some of the more common airbag injuries include:
- Brain Injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Back injuries
- Eye injuries
- Broken bones or fractures
- Lacerations
- Knee injuries
- Chest and cardiac injuries
- Death
There is also the danger that an airbag does not deploy or deploy at the wrong time. Injuries from airbags failing to deploy can also be severe. If you suffered an airbag injury, contact Stephens Law Firm, PLLC for help.
What is My Airbag Injury Case Worth?
There are generally three types of damages for personal injury cases. The three types of damages are:
Economic damages represent your financial losses after your airbag injuries, such as lost wages and medical expenses. Non-economic damages make up for your personal, and non-financial losses, including pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of consortium, and permanent disfigurement. Punitive damages exist to punish a defendant for gross misconduct.
An experienced attorney at Stephens Law Firm, PLLC should evaluate your case to determine the full extent of your damages.
What If the Insurance Company is Trying to Blame Me for My Airbag Injury?
Texas is a modified comparative fault jurisdiction. If you were more than 50% at fault for your accident, you would not be allowed to recover any damages. This is known as a “51% bar.”
If you were less than 50% at fault, your damages would be reduced by the percentage fault the jury assigns to you. For example, if you have $80,000 in damages but are 10% at fault, you can only recover $72,000 (90%).
Insurance companies love to try to blame the victim to avoid having to pay damages. Stephens Law Firm, PLLC will fight back against any allegation that you were at fault and preserve your right to all your damages.
How Do I Hold Another Party Liable for My Airbag Injuries?
There are two airbag injury case types in Fort Worth: negligence and product liability.
Most car accident suits are negligence suits. You will have to prove another driver breached their duty to drive safely and caused your accident and airbag injuries. You might prove negligence by showing the driver was speeding, intoxicated, or distracted at the time of the crash.
However, suppose your airbag injury was due to a defect in the airbag itself. In this case, you might file a product liability suit against the airbag manufacturer to recover your damages. The law of product liability holds the makers of defective products responsible for injuries their products cause.
The three types of defects are:
- Design defect – a problem with the design that makes it unreasonably dangerous
- Manufacturing defect – a problem with the manufacturing of the product that caused it to deviate from its design in a dangerous way.
- Marketing defect – a failure to warn consumers of risks associated with the use of a product
If you can prove the airbag suffered from a design, manufacturing, or marketing defect, you can hold the manufacturer strictly liable for your injuries. This means you don’t have to prove negligence.
A Fort Worth personal injury lawyer can analyze your case to determine the best cause of action for recovering compensation.
How Long Do I Have to Sue After a Car Accident in Fort Worth?
Texas has a two-year statute of limitations for personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits. Statutes of limitations determine your time limit to sue after an accident. You must file your suit within two years of your injury or risk losing compensation.
Don’t delay your case. Contact us right away for your free consultation.
Contact An Auto Accident Lawyer in Fort Worth for a Free Consultation
Stephens Law Firm, PLLC helps accident victims who suffered airbag injuries in Fort Worth. If you were injured, contact Jason Stephens today for a free consultation. You deserve an experienced Fort Worth car accident lawyer on your side.
