Tennessee Airbag Failure Injury Claims

If an airbag failed you in a crash, you may have a product liability claim in Tennessee against the automaker, the airbag manufacturer, or both.

Airbags fail in two dangerous ways: they do not deploy when they should, leaving you unprotected, or they deploy with too much force and send metal fragments into the cabin. Either failure can turn a survivable crash into a catastrophic or fatal one. When a defective airbag causes or worsens your injuries, you can seek compensation for medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, and more.

How Do Airbags Fail?

An airbag is supposed to be your last line of defense. When it is defective, it becomes a hidden danger, and the company that built it can be held responsible.

Airbag failures generally fall into a few categories:

• Failure to deploy. A sensor, control module, or wiring defect keeps the airbag from firing in a crash where it should have.
• Explosive or over-aggressive deployment. The airbag ruptures or deploys with excessive force, which is the core of the Takata crisis.
• Late deployment. The airbag fires after the moment it could have protected you.
• Unnecessary deployment. The airbag fires without a real crash and causes injury on its own.

An airbag relies on sensors, an accelerometer, and a control unit to detect a crash and fire at the right instant. A defect anywhere in that system can cause a failure.

The Takata Recall and Exploding Airbags

The Takata airbag recall is the largest and most complex auto safety recall in U.S. history. The defect involves an ammonium nitrate propellant that can degrade over time, especially with heat and humidity. When the airbag deploys, the inflator can rupture and shoot metal shrapnel into the cabin.

The scale is staggering. Roughly 67 million airbags across tens of millions of vehicles and many automakers have been recalled. In the United States, these ruptures have been linked to multiple deaths and hundreds of injuries, and regulators have issued “Do Not Drive” warnings for some of the most dangerous vehicles. Victims have suffered wounds that look more like blast or stabbing injuries than typical crash trauma.

Not every defective airbag is a Takata airbag. Regulators have also scrutinized airbag control units from other suppliers over failures to deploy. If your airbag did not fire in a serious crash, that is worth investigating too.

Who Is Liable for an Airbag Failure?

An airbag failure claim is a product liability case, and it can name:

• The automaker that designed, built, and sold the vehicle
• The airbag or component manufacturer that supplied the defective part
• In some situations, others in the chain that put the vehicle on the road

Tennessee product liability law lets you recover when a product was unreasonably dangerous and caused your injury. You do not have to prove the company was careless, only that the airbag was defective and that the defect harmed you. Where a company knew about a danger and sold the product anyway, punitive damages may also be on the table.

Why the Vehicle Is Key Evidence

Airbag cases turn on physical and electronic proof, and much of it lives in the vehicle.

• Do not repair or junk the vehicle. The airbag module and wiring are critical evidence.
• Preserve the airbag control module and any event data recorder, which can show whether the system detected the crash and whether it fired.
• Photograph the interior, the deployed or undeployed airbag, and your injuries.
• Check for a recall. Enter your VIN at the NHTSA recall lookup to see if your vehicle is affected.

Engineers can download crash data and inspect the airbag system to show what happened and why. That analysis is far easier before the vehicle is gone.

What Compensation Can You Recover?

An airbag failure claim can seek:

• Economic damages with no cap, including medical bills, future care, and lost earnings
• Noneconomic damages for pain and suffering, capped at $750,000, or $1 million for catastrophic injuries
• Wrongful death damages if the failure contributed to a death
• Punitive damages where a maker knew of the defect and failed to act

Because airbag failures often produce severe harm, these claims frequently involve catastrophic injury such as facial trauma, brain injury, or paralysis. Comparative fault applies, so partial fault does not bar recovery unless your share reaches 50 percent.

FAQs

Can I sue if my airbag did not deploy?

Possibly. If your airbag should have deployed in the crash and did not because of a defect, you may have a product liability claim against the automaker or airbag maker.

Is there still money available in the Takata recall?

The Takata situation involves recalls, bankruptcy proceedings, and compensation programs, and separate injury claims may also be possible. A lawyer can explain which options fit your case.

What should I do first?

Get medical care, preserve the vehicle, and check your VIN for a recall. Then have a lawyer arrange an inspection of the airbag system.

How long do I have to file in Tennessee?

Generally one year from the crash for a personal injury claim (Tennessee Code Section 28-3-104). Product claims also have longer outer deadlines, but the one-year rule usually controls.

When Your Last Line of Defense Failed

When an airbag fails, the crash is only half the story. The other half is why your last line of protection did not work, and the answer is in the vehicle. Preserving it and acting quickly protects your claim.

The Higgins Firm handles airbag failure and car accident injury claims across Tennessee. Use our contact page for a free case review. You pay nothing unless we recover money for you.