Airbag Injuries: Types, Causes, and Your Legal Rights After Deployment

Airbags save lives. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates they have prevented tens of thousands of fatalities since becoming standard equipment. But airbag deployment is a violent mechanical event — the bag inflates at 100 to 220 miles per hour in less than one-twentieth of a second — and when it goes wrong, or when the occupant is positioned badly, the airbag itself can be the source of serious injuries.

If you were hurt by an airbag in a crash, your legal rights depend on how the injury happened. Was the other driver at fault? Was the airbag defective? Both? Understanding that distinction matters for how a claim is built and what compensation is available.

This guide covers the most common airbag injuries, who is most at risk, when liability falls on the manufacturer versus the other driver, and when to call a car accident lawyer.

How Airbag Injuries Happen

The same forces that make airbags effective at preventing head-on contact with the steering wheel and windshield can injure occupants who are poorly positioned, too close to the dashboard, or struck by the bag at the wrong angle. Four primary mechanisms cause airbag injuries:

• Impact force at deployment. A full-speed airbag generates enormous force against the face, chest, and arms. Occupants sitting too close to the steering wheel — a distance under 10 inches — face significantly elevated injury risk.
• Chemical exposure. Older airbag inflators used sodium azide, which releases irritating and toxic byproducts during the chemical reaction. Most modern inflators use different propellants, but residue and dust still cause skin and eye irritation.
• Heat. The inflation reaction generates substantial heat, and the bag surface can reach temperatures that cause contact burns, particularly to exposed facial skin and forearms.
• Defective inflators (Takata recall). The largest automotive recall in U.S. history involved Takata airbag inflators that could rupture and send metal fragments into the vehicle cabin at high velocity. Tens of millions of vehicles were affected, and Takata-related injuries remain an ongoing legal issue.

8 Common Airbag Injuries

The injuries caused by airbag deployment range from minor abrasions to permanent disability. Here are the most frequently documented injury types, from most to least common:

1. Facial Lacerations and Eye Injuries

The face takes the initial impact in most frontal deployments. Abrasions from the bag surface, lacerations from the deployment force, and eye injuries from dust and chemicals are the most common airbag injuries overall. Corneal abrasions, retinal damage, and, in Takata cases, penetrating eye trauma from inflator fragments have all been documented.

2. Burns and Skin Abrasions

The bag deploys hot. Chemical friction burns to the face, neck, forearms, and hands are common, particularly in close-range deployments. These burns are typically first or second degree but can be severe enough to require skin grafting in cases of prolonged contact or chemical reactant exposure.

3. Chest and Rib Injuries

The force of a deploying steering-wheel airbag directed at the sternum and ribs can fracture ribs or the sternum itself. Broken ribs are painful, slow to heal, and can cause complications including pneumothorax (collapsed lung) and intercostal nerve damage. Occupants with pre-existing osteoporosis or smaller frames face higher risk.

4. Traumatic Brain Injury

While airbags reduce TBI risk from contact with the steering wheel, the deployment impact itself can produce concussion or, in more serious cases, moderate traumatic brain injury when the occupant’s head snaps back violently after the initial airbag contact. TBI from airbag deployment is more common when the occupant is not wearing a seatbelt. If you suspect a head injury after an accident, see our guide on working with a brain injury lawyer to understand how these claims are built.

5. Neck and Whiplash Injuries

The rapid deceleration from airbag contact — combined with the crash impact itself — produces the same cervical spine flexion-extension cycle responsible for whiplash in rear-end collisions. Neck strains, herniated cervical discs, and facet joint injuries are all documented outcomes. These injuries are sometimes dismissed by insurers as minor, but severe cervical herniation can require surgery and produce lasting neurological deficits.

6. Arm, Wrist, and Hand Injuries

Occupants gripping the steering wheel at deployment can suffer broken wrists, fractured forearms, dislocated shoulders, and thumb or finger injuries as the bag expands through the grip. These are among the most common airbag injuries in police-reported accident data.

7. Hearing Loss

Airbag deployment is extremely loud — the detonation can reach 160 decibels at close range, exceeding the threshold for immediate noise-induced hearing damage. Temporary threshold shifts, tinnitus, and permanent sensorineural hearing loss have all been reported in occupants who sustained airbag deployments in enclosed vehicles without windows open. Hearing loss from airbag deployment is frequently undiagnosed immediately after an accident.

8. Chemical Inhalation Injuries

The deployment reaction releases nitrogen gas, talcum or cornstarch powder, and, in older systems, sodium azide reaction byproducts. In an enclosed vehicle, this can cause respiratory irritation, asthma exacerbation, and, in Takata-related incidents, more severe internal injuries from inflator shrapnel. Occupants with pre-existing asthma, COPD, or other respiratory conditions face greater risk.

Who Is Most at Risk for Airbag Injuries

Certain occupant characteristics significantly elevate injury risk from airbag deployment:

• Short-statured drivers who sit close to the steering wheel — less than 10 inches between chest and wheel — face dramatically higher injury risk at deployment
• Children in front seats — airbags are not designed for child-sized occupants, which is why federal guidance recommends children 12 and under sit in the rear seat
• Unbelted occupants who are thrown forward before airbag contact
• Pregnant women, where deployment-force chest and abdominal impact creates additional risk
• Older adults with lower bone density who are at greater fracture risk from deployment impact

At-Fault Driver vs. Defective Airbag: How Liability Works

In most airbag injury cases, the at-fault driver caused the crash and the airbag deployment was a foreseeable consequence. Liability for all resulting injuries — including airbag injuries — flows to the negligent driver. A standard car accident lawyer handles these claims through the at-fault driver’s insurance.

In defective airbag cases — where the bag deployed without a crash, failed to deploy in a crash, or ruptured sending debris into the cabin (Takata) — the claim shifts to a products liability theory against the manufacturer, vehicle maker, or both. These cases are more complex: they require expert engineering testimony, detailed vehicle and airbag inspection, and often proceed against sophisticated corporate defendants. If a defective airbag caused your injury, consult a product liability lawyer with specific experience in automotive defect litigation.

Both theories can apply simultaneously. If another driver caused the crash and the airbag was also defective, you may pursue claims against the at-fault driver’s insurance and file a separate product liability lawsuit against the manufacturer.

What Damages Are Available in an Airbag Injury Claim

Airbag injuries that rise above minor abrasions typically justify substantial claims. Recoverable damages include:

• Emergency medical care, surgery, and hospitalization
• Follow-up treatment — physical therapy, ophthalmology, audiology, neurology
• Past and future lost wages
• Pain and suffering, including chronic pain from neck and TBI injuries
• Permanent disability or disfigurement (facial scarring, vision loss, permanent hearing loss)
• Loss of enjoyment of life for catastrophic injuries

In defective airbag cases where a manufacturer knew about a defect and continued selling the vehicle (as documented in the Takata prosecution), punitive damages may also be available.

When to Call a Lawyer After an Airbag Injury

Not every airbag abrasion requires an attorney. But you should consult a lawyer any time:

• The injury required emergency care, hospitalization, or surgery
• You have lingering symptoms — headaches, vision changes, hearing loss, neck or wrist pain — that haven’t resolved
• The airbag deployed without a crash, failed to deploy when it should have, or you were in a vehicle with a known Takata recall
• An insurance adjuster has contacted you quickly with a settlement offer
• You missed work because of the injury

Airbag injuries are often downplayed in early insurance evaluations. Burns heal, abrasions close, but the TBI, hearing loss, and cervical disc injuries that follow can produce lasting effects that don’t fully manifest for weeks. Accepting a quick settlement before the full picture emerges can permanently waive your right to additional compensation. Most car accident and personal injury attorneys handle airbag injury cases on contingency — no fee unless you recover.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I sue for airbag injuries if I caused the accident?

If your own negligence caused the crash, you cannot recover from the other driver. However, if the airbag was defective — it deployed without impact, failed to deploy, or ruptured — you may still have a product liability claim against the manufacturer regardless of fault for the crash itself.

My airbag deployed in a minor fender-bender. Is that normal?

Airbags are calibrated to deploy when sensors detect a threshold impact force, typically 8 to 14 mph equivalent crash force. Deployment in a minor collision can itself indicate a defect in the sensor calibration or inflator trigger system, making the vehicle maker potentially liable for any resulting injuries.

I have a ringing in my ears after my airbag deployed. Should I see a doctor?

Yes — immediately. Tinnitus after airbag deployment is a sign of noise-induced cochlear damage. The window for treatment interventions is narrow, and delay can result in permanent hearing loss. Document the symptom in your medical records as soon as possible, both for treatment and for your legal claim.

Does my vehicle have a recalled Takata airbag?

Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or safercar.gov. Takata recall vehicles include models from Honda, Toyota, Ford, Chrysler, BMW, Mazda, Subaru, Mitsubishi, and others spanning model years 2001–2019. If your vehicle has an open Takata recall and the airbag deploys, contact a product liability attorney before speaking with any insurer.

What is the statute of limitations for an airbag injury claim?

For claims against the at-fault driver, the statute of limitations is the car accident personal injury SOL in your state — typically 2 to 3 years from the crash date. For product liability claims against an airbag manufacturer, state-specific product liability statutes apply, usually also 2 to 3 years from the date of injury or discovery of the defect. Time-limit traps can cut these windows shorter in some states, so consult an attorney promptly.