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NHTSA Investigates 2008 Toyota Corolla for Airbag Deployment Failure

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has initiated an investigation into the 2008 Toyota Corolla after a couple filed a complaint on the agency website, alleging that the airbag on their Corolla failed to deploy during an accident.

The couple, Fred and Susan Maynard of Virginia is alleging in their report that they were traveling on a four- lane highway in Pennsylvania at about 55 mph, when their car collided with a deer.  The impact completely wrecked the Corolla, but the airbags on their car failed to deploy.  Fortunately, the two were not injured in the accident.

They have posted a report on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website reporting this incident.  Now, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that it has initiated a probe into the 2008 Toyota Corolla airbag deployment failure, and that the probe could affect as many as 170,000 vehicles.

Los Angeles product liability lawyers can add another Toyota recall to a lengthy and ever-growing list of auto safety problems associated with the company.  Since 2009, Toyota has recalled approximately 19.2 million vehicles across the world.  Of these, 13.7 vehicles were recalled in the US.  This particular probe by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration into the 2008 Toyota could be especially painful for the company.  The Corolla is Toyota’s second bestselling vehicle, next only to the Camry.

Deployment failure is just one of several airbag-related issues that Los Angeles defective product lawyers come across.  Airbags are one of the biggest auto safety inventions in recent years, second in effectiveness only to seatbelts.  In fact, seatbelts and airbags together have saved thousands of lives over the years.  However, reports of injuries linked to defective airbags have been emerging over the years.

Airbag failures can be of several types.  Motorists and passengers could be injured either by failure to deploy, late deployment or early deployment.  All of these can end with serious injuries to a person.  The kind of injuries that result from an airbag accident can be serious.  Typically, Los Angeles defective product lawyers find that airbag accidents result in traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, neck and head injuries, chest injuries, and internal injuries.  Persons can even lose their sight from impact with the airbag.  There may also be hearing loss, crushing injuries and amputations of fingers and thumbs, burns, lacerations, concussions, and abrasions.

Considering how popular airbags are and how many vehicles have these installed, it’s not so surprising that there is a high incidence of airbag-related injuries.  According to estimates, there are about 177 million vehicles equipped with airbags in the United States.  The statistics were true as of 2006, and the number is likely to be much larger now.  According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration since 1990, there have been 284 airbags-related deaths.  In response to those fatalities, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has asked automakers to include sensors in the airbags, which can reduce the risk of airbag-related injuries.  However, even with these sensors, airbag injuries continue to occur.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of airbag deployment failures. Please visit our website at trlglaw.com. If you desire to discuss a personal injury matter,  you can reach us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.

The Reeves Law Group is not representing any party in the matters discussed in this posting.

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