A man whose wife died after she was ejected from her vehicle during a May 3, 2011 multi-vehicle crash is suing Ford Motor Co. for her West Virginia wrongful death. Philip Stewart says that his wife Mary was thrown from the car because of alleged airbag and seat belt defects. She died from her injuries.
According to the auto products liability lawsuit, Mary, the mom of two teenagers and a school teacher, was wearing a seat belt while driving her Ford Explorer XLT but because the air bag and safety belt didn’t work as they should have, she was thrown from the car and died on the scene. He wants over $1.2 million in seatbelt and airbag defect damages.
Air Bag Defects
When auto safety devices fail to work properly this can prove catastrophic
for the vehicle’s occupants in the event of a crash. Unfortunately,
injuries and deaths from such product defects can happen.
While working air bags can save lives—when they don’t work properly serious injuries can result. Failing to deploy when needed is one way a malfunctioning air bag can prove deadly. Air bags are supposed to provide cushioning and protection during impact. That said, they should not deploy unless they are needed. Not only can they make it hard for a driver to continue driving his/her car safely but also air bag impact injuries can occur.
An air bag that explodes during deployment may emit sharp objects that can cause eye injury, even blindness, internal injuries, and other injuries. Other air bags defects include faulty crash sensors that can cause accidental deployment, delayed inflation, horizontal inflation (air bags should inflate upwards and then outwards), inflators that are too forceful, inadequate internal tethers that can cause an air bag to deflate in a shape other than a flat pillow,inadequate air bag testing, and tears/cuts in the air bag.
In recent years there have been numerous mass auto recalls involving large automakers over air bags that had potential safety issues.There has also been a problems with counterfeit airbags.
Safety Belts
It goes without saying that everyone should be wearing seat belts when
they are in a motor vehicle. So for a seat belt to fail in some way—the
results can be catastrophic. Common seta belt defects include latch malfunctions,
design defects, lap-only belts, retractor failures, and defects related
to booster seats and car seats for kids and babies.
Without a working seat belt, a vehicle occupant is at risk of getting thrown from the vehicle, thrown into the windows, or slamming into the roof of the auto and risking severe head trauma, massive internal injuries, traumatic brain injury, and death.
If a manufacturer’s negligence or errors created an auto parts defect that contributed to causing your injuries or a loved one’s death, you want to speak with an auto products liability law firm immediately. At The Gilbert Law Group®, our air bag defect lawyers and seat belt defect attorneys represent clients and their families throughout the United States.
