Although airbags save lives and protect people from serious harm, in rare cases, they actually cause a severe injury. The person was probably shielded from a worse occurrence, but automotive insurance should pay for medical expenses, lost wages, property damage and other financial concerns related to the accident. An auto accident attorney in Fort Collins can help if the insurer does not cooperate and offer a reasonable settlement.
Liability
In Colorado, the driver who causes the collision is the one responsible for paying the liability costs. Those costs are intended to be covered by auto insurance. If the at-fault individual is disobeying the law and driving without insurance, then harms someone in an accident, the other driver’s insurance should cover the related expenses.
Permanent Effects
Injuries are more common when defective airbags fail to deploy, but some persons do experience harm from being hit in the face with the high-pressure device. Permanent negative effects can result. For instance, it is possible for a person to suffer permanent reduction in hearing or the sense of smell after being hit in the face by this device. Concussions and skull fractures have occurred.
Reasons for Claim Denials
The insurance company may dispute the claim for a range of reasons. For example, if the injured person was sitting too close to the device, the insurer may use this to deny the claim, stating that the injury was essentially the person’s own fault. Vehicle manufacturers recommend sitting at least 10 inches away from airbags, but that isn’t always possible. For example, a driver may be too short to operate the foot pedals when sitting that far away. An auto accident attorney in Fort Collins can assist.
Another reason for claim denials is when the injured person wasn’t wearing a safety belt. Insurance companies have statistics on how various factors affect accident circumstances, and they know that not wearing safety belts is a significant risk factor for severe injuries and fatalities. A large majority of people seriously hurt or killed by airbag deployment were not wearing a seatbelt. Lawyers at a firm such as Burton & Burton are ready to help.
