Side Curtain Airbag Defects

• Practices Areas
• Vehicle Defects
• Side Curtain Airbag Defects

Further Protection for Occupants

Side curtain airbags, also known as head curtain airbags, generally span the length of the cabin and provide head protection for outboard occupants in side-impact collisions. Side curtains also protect occupants in the event of a rollover, by helping to keep passengers inside the vehicle and from violently striking the interior of the vehicle. Most injuries and deaths in rollover accidents stem from ejection.

Side curtain airbags can prevent injury to the head and upper body in a rollover accident. Side airbags stay inflated longer than other airbags to compensate for what could be multiple vehicle rolls (5 seconds for 3 vehicle rolls).

Torso bags are also used by some auto manufacturers to protect the chest area, while the main side curtain airbags concentrate on the head.

Check to see if your vehicle has a recall:
National Highway Traffic Safety(NHTSA)

Do They Really Help?

Currently, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) does not have standards to control the design and performance of side curtain airbags, and tests have shown that they are not as effective if the occupant's head is not at least somewhat level with the vehicle's window, as they are designed to stop the occupant's head from striking the glass.

This also is a huge factor with children. Side curtain airbags may have little benefit for them, unless current designs are improved. The NHTSA only offers this guideline, "these airbags should not cause harm to occupants, regardless of their age, size and seating position — regardless of whether they are properly restrained."

Contact Miller Weisbrod Olesky

If you were severely injured or a loved tragically died in an accident in which the airbag did not deploy, we invite you to contact Miller Weisbrod Olesky at (214) 987-0005 to discuss your rights and legal options with an experienced trial lawyer.

We offer free initial consultations to potential clients nationwide. If you are calling from outside the DFW Metroplex, please use our toll-free line at (888) 987-0005 or contact us by e-mail to schedule an appointment.