Airbag Recall Announced

Detroit, MIIn the realm of things that can go wrong, having an airbag recall brought about by defective airbags is probably high on the list of things that consumers want to avoid. After all, airbags are supposed to prevent injuries, not cause them. But airbag injuries have reportedly caused serious harm to passengers in vehicles, resulting in airbag lawsuits against car manufacturers.

Such airbag issues resulted in GM announcing a recall of its 2013 Chevrolet Malibu. According to USA Today (5/24/12), GM recalled its 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco because of a computer module problem with the airbags. The computer module controls the airbags and can reportedly cause it to go off unnecessarily or not deploy when needed.

GM noted in its recall that in extreme turns, the roof rail airbags might deploy and in other situations the side curtain airbags might not deploy at all, even when necessary. The carmaker has said situations involved in the airbag problems are rare and no reports of crashes or injuries have been made. CBS News reports that the problem is caused by the sensing and diagnostic computer module resetting itself when the car performs a hard brake.

Approximately 4,300 vehicles are affected by the recall.

Lawsuits have been filed by people injured by reportedly defective airbags, or by family members whose loved ones were killed. According to NBC News (KRIS TV; 5/21/12), a mistrial has been declared in one such lawsuit filed against Ford Motor Company regarding airbags. A new trial has already been set for October 1, 2012.

The lawsuit was filed following an accident in November 2010, in which the driver of a Ford F-150 was paralyzed and her mother was killed. The lawsuit alleges that the inclusion of an airbag curtain system could have prevented the victims' injuries. Attorneys for the surviving victim accused Ford Motor Company of withholding information while they collected paperwork for the lawsuit.

Problems with airbags run from not deploying when necessary to deploying too late or unnecessarily. Although it may not seem like a huge concern, airbags deploying too late can cause severe harm to passengers in a vehicle. Airbags deploy with a large amount of force. That force assumes the person will be a safe distance from the airbag when it is set off, but if the airbag deploys too late, the person may have shifted and be sitting too close to the airbag source, putting her at risk of the airbag hitting her with far more force than her body can withstand and resulting in catastrophic injuries.