We’ve previously discussed the fact that side impact crashes are a bigger risk than many Missouri and Illinois residents realize, accounting for approximately one-third of all deaths that happen in the wake of motor vehicle accidents. A number of Americans rightly worry about the extreme forces at play in a head-on collision; but the fact remains that side impacts can prove a great danger as well. One of the reasons these crashes are so risky is the fact that there is such a shallow “crumple zone” separating vehicle occupants from the side of the vehicle which then comes ramming toward their vulnerable bodies. Significant injuries can occur in these side impacts, and this can often result in injured victims needing to consult a St. Louis personal injury car accident attorney to find out what their rights for financial restitution may be.
By most accounts, the car manufacturing industry has been aware of the importance of side airbags since at least the 1990s. Side impact airbags began being installed in vehicles on a more common basis during that time – and not just in high-end luxury vehicles, either. The 1999 Hyundai Sonata, for instance, contained a head/torso side airbag mounted to the seat as a standard feature. Flash forward to 2012, and the number of passenger vehicles being sold in the U.S. having side impact airbags installed as a matter of course jumped to over 95%.
Why the big jump in statistics? It seems pretty simple to a St. Louis personal injury attorney like me: the side impact airbag numbers among one of the most successful ways to make vehicles more crashworthy during a side impact crash. Partner a side impact airbag with other safety measures, such as energy-absorbing side structures like safety cage designs, and the chance of escaping a side impact collision with fewer serious injuries increases significantly.
Side impact airbags: improvements in both design and regulations
Side impact airbags come in three main design types, including a thorax bag mounted on either the door or seat, a combination head and thorax bag mounted on the seat, and a side airbag inflatable curtain which is mounted along the roof rail. These types of airbags are intended to focus on protecting specific regions of a vehicle occupant’s body during a car accident. Not only can these vehicles help cushion the impact of such a collision, they can also decrease the risk of someone being either partially or fully ejected from the vehicle in which they are traveling.
Considering all this side-impact safety information that is becoming more widely-known, federal standards for side impact crashworthiness are steadily evolving and becoming more stringent. The Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 214 has been the measure governing the features that must be met by vehicles when being tested for side impact performance since 1973. Several years ago, the FMVSS 214 was updated to include higher safety standards and total implementation of the new guidelines is expected to be achieved sometime during the 2015 model year.
But what happens when an innocent victim riding on American roadways is seriously injured or even killed due to the failure to have side impact airbags installed, or in the event that such an airbag malfunctions? In some cases, motor vehicle accident victims who have been injured due to the lack of a side airbag being installed, or due to a faulty airbag, may have the right to pursue personal injury claims in a civil court of law. This could allow them to seek reimbursement for the medical and other related expenses they have incurred as a result of their injuries. Likewise, those who have lost a loved one under similar circumstances may be eligible to pursue a wrongful death claim under personal injury laws in Missouri or Illinois. They may be able to obtain restitution for final medical and funeral expenses, not to mention the lost income of a family breadwinner.
You can take action if injured by lack of side impact airbags or due to defects
If you or a loved one has been tragically affected by this type of motor vehicle accident, please contact my St. Louis car accident personal injury law firm toll-free at 1-888-586-7041 at your earliest convenience to discuss your case. I can offer my decades of experience as a trial attorney in a free consultation to determine whether my law firm can help you with your case. You will pay nothing for this consultation, and nothing unless we are successful in obtaining a financial settlement or award on your behalf. If I don’t think I can help you, I will let you know – but considering that there are time limitations on preserving evidence and pursuing civil claims, the sooner you take action, the better for your potential case.
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