Posted in Car Accidents on October 15, 2022
Airbags are designed to help lessen the severity of head and brain trauma in the event a vehicle accident occurs. However, can the airbag itself cause a person to sustain a concussion or a more severe traumatic brain injury? Here, we want to examine whether or not airbags can lead to injuries in their own right as well as the signs of a concussion that individuals need to be aware of.
How an Airbag Can Cause a Concussion
Information from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows that in frontal crashes, the front airbags reduce driver deaths by 29% and front passenger deaths by 32%. The reality is that airbags save lives, so regardless of the fact that they can and do cause concussions, they are still lifesavers. A person may survive a crash because of an airbag, and a concussion is manageable.
With that said, airbags deploy quickly with high force when an incident occurs, which may cause a concussion. They have to; otherwise, they’d be useless. While an airbag may cause a concussion, it can also be the way your head is positioned. When there is a moderate to severe crash, a signal is sent from the computer system to deploy the inflator in the airbag. There is a chemical reaction that starts, and the airbag is inflated in less than 1/20th of a second. This happens before the brain can really even process it.
Signs and Symptoms of a Concussion
Information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that concussions are mild traumatic brain injuries and that they can happen any time a person sustains a “bump, blow, or jolt to the head” or when there is a hit to the body that causes the head or brain to move back and forth or sideways rapidly.
This type of bump or blow to the head can occur when an airbag deploys. There are various signs or symptoms that individuals could experience if they sustain a concussion due to an airbag deployment. This includes:
- Headache
- Pressure in the head
- Vomiting or nausea
- Issues with balance
- Dizziness
- Blurry or double vision
- Feeling groggy or sluggish
- Confusion or concentration problems
- Moving clumsily
- Trouble waking up
- Mood changes
It is important for those who sustain concussions to seek medical care. As we mentioned above, these are traumatic brain injuries, and a concussion could worsen if not treated promptly. In many cases, people think that they’ve only sustained a minor concussion, only to later discover the injury was far more severe. Brain injuries must be taken seriously.
What Happens Now – Call an Attorney
Any person who sustains an injury caused by the actions of another driver should be able to recover compensation. Even something like a mild concussion could lead to major medical bills. If you or someone you care about has sustained a concussion due to the actions of another driver, work with a Long Beach accident attorney to recover compensation for medical bills and lost wages. This compensation will typically come from the at-fault driver’s insurance carrier, but you may have to file a civil personal injury lawsuit to recover the compensation you are entitled to.