Airbag Injuries Lawsuit Filed against GM

Charleston, WVAs more airbag injuries lawsuits are being filed against GM, concerns have risen that the death toll related to faulty ignition switches - which can lead to airbag failure - is much higher than initially believed. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is also reportedly investigating concerns about airbags not deploying in certain GM vehicles. Airbag lawsuits have been filed against a variety of car manufacturers, alleging airbags have failed to work properly, resulting in serious injuries to vehicle occupants.

One such lawsuit was reportedly filed by a man whose pregnant wife was killed in a 2006 car accident. According to The Associated Press (7/24/14), Jason Vest’s 26-year-old wife was driving a Chevrolet Cobalt when the car failed to stop at an intersection. The Cobalt collided with a tractor-trailer, but the car’s airbags did not deploy as they should have. The lawsuit alleges that a faulty ignition switch in the car caused the accident.

The New York Times (3/13/14) reports that as many as 303 people died in accidents linked to two of the GM models that were recalled due to faulty ignition switches. Those deaths all reportedly involved airbags that did not deploy.

According to Bloomberg (7/29/14), the NHTSA is now investigating whether or not there is an issue with the algorithm that determines when airbags in certain GM vehicles must deploy. A letter reportedly sent by Donald Friedman to the NHTSA asked the agency to look into the issue, following a 2011 crash involving a Chevrolet Impala. The letter notes that the man sitting in the passenger seat weighed approximately 170 pounds, but because of jostling in the accident, the car weighed him at 47 pounds and the airbag did not deploy.

In announcing its investigation, the NHTSA said it had not received other reports of problems with the algorithm but would investigate.

Despite being a safety feature of passenger vehicles, airbags and airbag failures are linked to a number of recent vehicle recalls. In July, Jaguar Land Rover North America announced a recall of certain model year 2010-2015 LR2 and 2012-2013 Range Rover Evoque vehicles. The recall was announced because of a problem with the Occupant Classification System Electronic Control Unit, which could result in the front seat passenger airbag possibly not deploying or not deploying properly.

Also in July, Volkswagen of America announced it was recalling certain model year 2009 Routan vehicles. The reason for the recall was that jarring events could cause the ignition switch to move to the OFF or ACCESSORY position, resulting in a loss of power to the vehicle, including airbags, power steering and power brakes. This loss of power could result in an accident and increase the risk of an injury.