You're driving home from work on I-270 when traffic suddenly stops. The impact triggers your airbag—causing severe facial burns, a broken nose, and limited vision in one eye.
While airbags save thousands of lives each year, they can also cause significant facial trauma that requires extensive medical treatment and recovery time. At Bollwerk & Associates, our St. Louis personal injury attorneys help injury victims navigate the legal process to recover compensation for their medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
Understanding Airbag-Related Facial Injuries
Airbags deploy at speeds between 100 and 220 mph, generating tremendous force when they make contact with your face. This life-saving technology is designed to prevent you from hitting the steering wheel or dashboard, but the deployment itself can lead to a new set of problems.
Modern vehicles contain multiple airbags, including frontal airbags, side airbags, and knee airbags. Each has the potential to cause different types of injuries depending on the angle of impact and your position at the time of deployment.
Factors that increase the risk of airbag-related facial injuries after a car accident include sitting too close to the steering wheel, incorrect seat positioning, and not wearing a seat belt. Your age and overall health can also impact how your body responds to airbag deployment. Older adults with more fragile skin and bones often suffer more severe injuries than younger individuals in similar accidents.
Common Types of Facial Injuries From Airbag Deployment
Airbag deployment can cause various facial injuries ranging from minor abrasions to severe trauma requiring surgical intervention and long-term care.
Facial Fractures
Facial fractures occur when the force of the airbag breaks bones in your face. Nasal fractures are most common, but cheekbone, orbital (eye socket), and jaw fractures also frequently occur during deployment. These injuries typically require specialized treatment from facial surgeons and may necessitate multiple procedures to restore proper function and appearance.
Chemical and Thermal Burns
Chemical and thermal burns result from the rapid heating of gases used to inflate the airbag and the chemicals released during deployment. These burns can range from first-degree (minor) to third-degree (severe) and may leave permanent scarring. Treatment often involves specialized burn care, possible skin grafting, and long-term scar management.
Eye Injuries
Eye injuries happen when the airbag strikes your face at high velocity, potentially causing corneal abrasions, retinal detachment, or even blindness in severe cases. Airbag-related eye trauma requires immediate attention from an ophthalmologist and may result in permanent vision impairment despite treatment.
Soft Tissue Injuries
Soft tissue injuries include lacerations, contusions, and abrasions to the skin and underlying tissues of your face. While these injuries may seem less severe initially, they can lead to significant scarring that affects both appearance and function. Plastic surgery and scar revision procedures may be necessary to address these concerns.
Dental Trauma
Dental trauma occurs when the force of an airbag deployment damages teeth or dental work. Broken teeth, dislodged crowns, or damage to dental implants might require extensive dental reconstruction. These injuries can be particularly expensive to treat and may cause ongoing pain and difficulty eating.
TMJ Disorders
Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders can develop after the impact of an airbag against your jaw. This condition causes pain when chewing, speaking, or opening your mouth and may require long-term treatment from dental specialists. TMJ disorders can significantly impact your quality of life and ability to work in certain professions.
How Our St. Louis Personal Injury Attorneys Can Help
Your time to file a personal injury claim is limited by Missouri's statute of limitations, which generally gives you five years from the date of injury to take legal action. A St. Louis personal injury attorney can provide valuable assistance throughout this process.
When you work with Bollwerk & Associates to handle your airbag accident claim, your attorney will thoroughly investigate the accident, often working with accident reconstruction specialists and automotive engineers to determine exactly what happened and why. Our experienced lawyers will also coordinate with your medical providers to document the full extent of your facial injuries and their impact on your life. This evidence is crucial for establishing the value of your claim and ensuring you receive compensation that truly reflects your losses.
Insurance companies often attempt to minimize payouts by questioning the severity of injuries or suggesting that they were preexisting conditions. We will negotiate with these companies on your behalf, using evidence and legal expertise to counter their tactics and pursue fair compensation.
If a fair settlement cannot be reached through negotiation, our St. Louis personal injury attorneys can take your case to trial. We will prepare compelling courtroom presentations, question expert witnesses, and advocate for your rights before a judge and jury.
