What is the average defective airbag settlement?
The average legal settlement for cases where airbags fail to deploy is calculated based on three key factors:
- How serious the victim’s injuries are.
- The cause of the accident.
- The reason for the airbag failure.
When a person is injured due to a defective airbag, they’re entitled to receive compensation that covers:
- All of your medical expenses.
- Reimbursement for lost wages (in case your injuries prevent you from working).
- Any psychological or emotional suffering resulting from your injuries.
However, many victims miss out on getting this compensation because they file a claim on their own or hire an inexperienced personal injury law firm.
Were you or a loved one injured by defective airbags? At George Salinas Injury Lawyers, we can help you get compensation to recover from your injuries without having to worry about money. We speak Spanish and are available every day of the year, so call us at 210-225-0909 or complete this online form to schedule a free consultation. One of our attorneys is ready to speak with you and advise you on the average legal settlement for defective airbags.
Most common airbag defects
Airbags are designed to inflate quickly when a car is crashing. Together with seatbelts, airbags prevent the occupant’s body from being thrown forward and hitting the windshield glass, glove compartment or steering wheel.
When airbags fail, they can cause serious or even fatal injuries to victims.
The five most common airbag defects include:
- The airbag doesn’t deploy when the vehicle crashes.
- The airbag deploys accidentally when the vehicle is driving normally.
- The airbag deploys late.
- The airbag deploys too violently.
- The airbag explodes when deploying.
Which vehicles have defective airbags?
The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that tens of millions of vehicles have defective Takata-brand airbags that can cause serious injury to their occupants.
In an effort to prevent such accidents, the NHTSA has published a list of the most dangerous car models and years that have defective Takata airbags:
- 2001-2002 Honda Civic
- 2001-2002 Honda Accord
- 2002-2003 Acura TL
- 2002 Honda CR-V
- 2002 Honda Odyssey
- 2003 Acura CL
- 2003 Honda Pilot
- 2006 Ford Ranger
- 2006 Mazda B-Series
- 2005-2010 Dodge Magnum
- 2005-2010 Dodge Charger
- 2005-2010 Dodge Challenger
- 2005-2010 Chrysler 300
If you have a car of one of these models and years, NHTSA’s recommendation is that you don’t drive it and immediately request that the airbags be replaced.
How can you find out if your vehicle has a defective airbag?
If you’re unsure about which airbags your vehicle has, NHTSA offers this online search engine where you can find out if your vehicle is at risk of having defective Takata airbags.
All you have to do is enter your vehicle identification number, which is located on the lower left side of the windshield and/or on your registration card (this is a 17-character number).
How can you win a defective airbag injury case?
To win a defective airbag case, an expert personal injury attorney will take the following 10 actions:
- Listen to the victim and get them the right medical care for their injuries.
- Thoroughly examine the accident scene with a team of expert investigators to gather evidence.
- Perform airbag surveys to document the damaged condition of the airbags.
- Seek out eyewitnesses to the accident to gather their testimonies.
- Study the medical and police reports.
- Build a legally sound case with all the collected evidence.
- Calculate how much compensation to demand for the victim, based on the circumstances of the accident and the severity of the injuries.
- Negotiate with the insurance company to get compensation for the victim.
- If necessary, file a lawsuit in court and work to win the case during a trial.
- Communicate at all times with the victim to make the best decisions together.
How much money can you get by winning a defective airbag case?
The amount of money a defective airbag victim receives in compensation depends on the particular circumstances of the accident. In other words, there is no average figure, as each case is unique.
However, defective airbag lawyers calculate the amount of compensation to be demanded based on three essential issues:
- How severe are the victim’s injuries?
- How long will it take to reach maximum recovery?
- Do the injuries prevent the victim from working? If so, how long will it take to get back to work?
Based on this information, the exact amount is established by considering different benefits, such as:
- Coverage of all injury-related expenses (medications, consultations, hospitalization, surgeries, doctor’s fees, clinical studies, ambulances, rehabilitation equipment or therapies).
- Reimbursement of lost wages (if the injuries prevent the victim from working).
- Compensation for any psychological or emotional injuries the victim suffered as a result of the accident (such as depression or post-traumatic stress disorder).
How much does a defective airbag lawyer cost?
To hire a defective airbag lawyer at George Salinas, you don’t pay anything out of pocket! We use a payment scheme known as contingency fees, which is designed to protect victims’ finances as follows:
- The victim never pays our lawyers out of pocket.
- Our lawyers handle the case with our own resources.
- If we win the case, our lawyers receive a small percentage of the final compensation that the victim gets.
- If we don’t win the case, our attorneys receive nothing.
- The victim can be assured that our lawyers are working full-time to win the case (which isn’t guaranteed by other payment schemes, such as charging by the hour).
Why are our defective airbag lawyers at George Salinas your best option?
Were you or a loved one injured by defective airbags? You can’t risk losing your right to fair compensation by hiring a law firm with no experience in cases like yours. That’s why you should make sure to choose attorneys with proven experience winning car accident cases.
At George Salinas Injury Lawyers, we can help you get compensation to recover from your injuries without financial stress. We speak Spanish and are available every day of the year, so call us at 210-225-0909 or fill out this online form to schedule a free consultation. One of our attorneys is ready to advise you on the average legal settlement for defective airbags.
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