Air Bag Burn Injuries during
Automobile Accidents in Tampa, Florida & Surrounding
Areas: Call Our Attorneys for Assistance
Whether you're a driver or a passenger,
it's good to know that the car you're riding in has airbags
to protect you in case of an accident. However, while
airbags are generally beneficial for your safety, they
have been known to cause injuries in rare cases.
One of the more serious—yet lesser known—injuries
caused by airbags is burn injuries. Most people do not
realize that airbags can cause a variety of burns including
chemical, thermal, and abrasive burn injuries.
As Tampa automobile
accidents attorneys representing the injured, our
law firm has become increasingly familiar with airbag
burn injuries. The most common airbag burn injuries occur
on the face and neck, causing permanent disfigurement,
vision problems, and breathing difficulties.
Airbag burns can occur in a number of
different circumstances. First, when airbags are deployed,
they are typically moving toward your face in excess of
100 miles per hour. The sheer force of the airbag is known
to cause abrasion burns to car occupants, but in most
cases, these burns are mild.
The next factor in airbag burn injuries
is the method used to inflate airbags. Contrary to their
name, airbags are not inflated with air. Instead, airbags
inflate because of a chemical reaction that is similar
to a solid rocket booster. When your car is in an accident,
it sets off a spark that burns a chemical called sodium
azide. Once ignited, sodium azide releases nitrogen gas,
which quickly fills up your airbags.
Another consequence of this chemical
reaction in airbags is the release of a very corrosive
substance called sodium hydroxide. To protect you from
this toxic chemical, automakers have added other substances
to airbag mechanisms which have been shown to neutralize
toxicity. This science, however, is not always perfect.
On rare occasions, small amounts of toxic sodium hydroxide
have been released from airbags, causing severe chemical
burns, eye damage, and blindness. Technically, these airbag
burns can be blamed on a vehicle defect, and not necessarily
the accident itself.
Part of our law firm's mission is to
make sure our clients are reimbursed for injuries caused
by manufacturing flaws such as airbag defects. If you
have suffered serious airbag burn injuries or any other
injuries in a Tampa, Florida area automobile accident,
please contact our attorneys today for a no-obligation,
free assessment of your case.
|
