Why do airbags hurt

The bag can also cause friction burns when it strikes the driver or passengers Airbags save lives, but they also cause damage to drivers and passengers. Airbag burns and other injuries The development and use of airbags in automobiles have reduced the number of vehicular related deaths.

Burns associated with airbag deployment Most burns caused by airbag deployment in a wreck are related to the release of the chemicals inside the bag. Chemical burns When a car crash happens, an electrical charge is triggered, causing the sodium azide or sodium hydroxide to explode and convert to nitrogen gas inside the bag. Here are links to the CDC on each of these chemicals: Sodium azide: Center for disease control and prevention Sodium hydroxide: Center for disease control and prevention Friction burns An airbag deploys at a fantastic speed.

Other injuries caused by airbags Airbags are balloons housed in the steering wheel of most cars. Injuries to the chest caused by an airbag deployment Reports of harm to the chest are typical in airbag deployments, and some include rib fractures and even damage to the cardiovascular system. To learn about whiplash, click here. Sonja Bradley. Sonja Bradley J. She has 18 years of legal experience.

Your safety depends on it! When an airbag goes off, it can be painful. Always have your car checked by a professional after a crash. Dalton Collision. If the airbag malfunctioned, more severe injuries are possible as well as death. Fatal injuries are also possible when vehicle occupants are sitting too close to the airbag when it releases.

Without these items, you will have a difficult time making an injury claim. Florin Roebig law firm injury lawyers can help you after an auto accident when medical bills are piling up due to accident injuries.

Give our personal injury lawyers a call at for a free case evaluation today. Florin Roebig, and its content team, is committed to delivering content of the highest caliber. Our editorial standards check for accuracy, sourcing, objective analysis, and more.

Every article is fact-checked by an editor prior to being published. Additionally, our content is legally-reviewed by one of our practicing attorneys. This typically occurs in a head-on or near head-on crash at a speed above 10 mph. Crashes that are severe enough can also trigger an igniter to produce a gas, typically nitrogen or argon, to fill the airbag and deploy. The airbag then deflates almost immediately, but the deployment can release dust and chemicals in the process.

There are some cases where a crash sensor malfunctions and causes an airbag to deploy incorrectly, or not at all. When an airbag deploys even a fraction of a second too late, it could lead to serious injury. Many body parts can be exposed to the airbag, leaving a variety of injuries possible during the process of deployment. While these are some of the most common injuries to occur due to airbags, others are possible. Because of the positioning of airbags, your face is the easiest target during a crash.

The airbag prevents your face from coming in contact with the windshield, however, the force of the airbag can strike your eye or fracture fragile bones in the face. Eye damage, including temporary or permanent blindness, is possible. Concussions may also occur if the impact is strong enough.