Did the air bag deploy in your Ontario Car accident?
Did the air bag deploy in your Ontario Car accident?
Many of our clients comment on the serious aftermath of an air bag exploding in their faces during an accident. For example, we have a client who lost an eye when an air bag dislodged part of the dashboard into her face.
A study done at the University of Georgia has revealed that air bags are associated with a slightly increased probability of death in accidents. This new study is in stark contrast to the earlier notion that air bags are highly effective in preventing injuries in car accidents.
What Is An Air Bag?
An air bag is a passive restraint consisting of a bag that is designed to inflate upon collision and prevent passengers from pitching forward in an accident.
How Does It Work?
When a collision occurs, the car’s momentum suddenly reduces to zero whereas the rider’s momentum remains significant. The passenger’s propulsion is enough to cause a severe bodily impact on, say, the steering wheel resulting in serious injury. The air bag reduces the passengers speed to zero within a fraction of a second thereby minimizing the impact of the collision.
Airbags inflate when a sensor detects a front-end crash severe enough to trigger their deployment. The sensor activates an electric signal that starts a chemical reaction to inflate the air bag with inert nitrogen. The vents in the air bags deflate immediately after absorbing the energy of the occupant.
Why The Conflicting Views On Safety Of Air Bags?
The fact is that seat belts offer the first line of protection against injury.
The findings of the study on air bags also state, “The proper use of seat belts reduces the odds of death by as much as 67% for any speed category and air bag availability. There is no statistical evidence that airbags reduce the car accident injuries. However, the odds of death increase fourfold for unseat belted occupants when air bags are in place.”
Conclusion?
If you are injured in an accident where an air bag was deployed, seek medical treatment immediately. Make sure your treating physicians know the impact was serious enough to result in air bag deployment.
You should also consult with a personal injury lawyer to determine if your injuries give rise to a claim for accident benefits or for compensation from the at-fault driver.
To speak with an Ottawa personal injury lawyer, call 613 233-4529, [email protected] or by clicking here.
