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Airbags and seatbelts save lives. That is not debatable. But in the process of saving your life, these safety systems can also cause serious injuries. An airbag deploys at speeds up to 200 miles per hour. A seatbelt locks across your chest and abdomen with hundreds of pounds of force. When they work as designed, the injuries they cause are considered an acceptable trade-off for preventing something worse. When they malfunction, deploy incorrectly, or fail entirely, the injuries can be catastrophic.
What many crash victims do not realize is that injuries caused by your own vehicle's safety equipment may give you legal claims beyond the standard accident case. If the at-fault driver caused the crash, they are responsible for all of your injuries, including those caused by your airbag or seatbelt. And if the restraint system itself was defective, you may also have a product liability claim against the vehicle manufacturer, the airbag manufacturer, or the company responsible for a defective component.
If you were injured by an airbag, seatbelt, or other restraint system in a Massachusetts car accident, Kiley Law Group can help. We have been handling complex injury cases, including product liability claims, for over 50 years, recovering more than $1 billion for our clients. Call 978-474-8670 for a free consultation.
A frontal airbag inflates in approximately 20 to 30 milliseconds, faster than the blink of an eye, and strikes the driver or passenger with significant force. Side curtain airbags, knee airbags, and steering column airbags each present their own injury risks. Even when they deploy correctly, the following injuries are common:
The face is the most commonly injured body part in airbag deployments, accounting for approximately 42% of all airbag-related injuries. The bag strikes the face with enough force to cause broken noses, fractured cheekbones and orbital bones, lacerations from the airbag fabric, and severe bruising. In high-speed collisions, facial fractures may require surgical reconstruction.
Airbags use chemical propellants, typically sodium azide or sodium hydroxide, to inflate. When the bag deploys, it releases hot gases and caustic chemical residue. Contact with the skin causes chemical burns that may not become fully apparent for 30 to 90 minutes after the crash. Friction burns from the rapidly inflating fabric are also common, particularly on the forearms, hands, and face. These burns can range from superficial irritation to second-degree burns requiring medical treatment.
The pressure wave from airbag deployment, combined with chemical residue and fabric impact, can cause corneal abrasions, chemical burns to the eyes, retinal damage, and in severe cases, permanent vision impairment. Eye injuries from airbag deployment are frequently underdiagnosed in the emergency room because the initial focus is on more visible or immediately life-threatening injuries.
A frontal airbag striking the chest can fracture ribs, bruise the sternum, and in rare cases cause cardiac contusions, which is bruising of the heart muscle. Chest injuries from airbag deployment account for roughly 10% of all airbag-related injuries and are more common in smaller drivers who sit closer to the steering wheel.
Drivers whose hands are on the steering wheel at the moment of deployment are at high risk for wrist fractures, hand injuries, and forearm fractures. The deploying airbag forces the hands and arms backward with tremendous energy. Wrist and forearm injuries account for approximately 33% of airbag injuries combined, second only to facial injuries.
Airbag deployment produces a noise level that can exceed 170 decibels, louder than a shotgun blast. This sudden acoustic trauma can cause temporary or permanent hearing damage, including tinnitus (ringing in the ears). Hearing injuries from airbag deployment are underreported because victims often attribute the ringing to the overall trauma of the crash rather than to the airbag specifically.
The term "seatbelt syndrome" describes the constellation of injuries caused by the restraining force of a seatbelt during a collision. The belt locks against your body and absorbs the kinetic energy that would otherwise propel you forward into the dashboard or through the windshield. That energy transfer causes its own injuries.
The shoulder belt crosses the chest diagonally, concentrating force over the ribs and sternum. Rib fractures, particularly to ribs 4 through 9 on the side where the shoulder belt rests, are among the most common seatbelt injuries. Sternal fractures occur in more forceful collisions. Rib fractures typically take six to eight weeks to heal, during which time breathing, coughing, and sleeping are painful.
The lap belt crosses the lower abdomen and can cause internal injuries in a high-speed collision. Abdominal seatbelt injuries include bruising and tearing of the bowel, damage to the mesentery (the tissue that holds the intestines in place), kidney bruising, and in severe cases, splenic or liver lacerations. Research shows that visible seatbelt abrasions on the abdomen indicate internal injury in approximately 30% of cases. These injuries are not always immediately apparent and may develop hours after the crash.
The shoulder belt anchor point sits at the collarbone, and a hard enough impact can fracture the clavicle. Clavicle fractures are painful and can take two to three months to heal, limiting the use of one arm during recovery.
Even without a fracture, the shoulder belt can cause significant soft tissue injuries to the neck and shoulder area. Bruising, strains, and nerve compression along the belt path are common. These injuries are often dismissed as "minor" by insurance companies but can cause chronic pain and limited range of motion that affects daily life for months.
The visible diagonal bruising pattern across the chest, sometimes called a "seatbelt sign," is a hallmark of seatbelt syndrome. While the bruising itself may look dramatic, the underlying concern is what it indicates about the forces your body absorbed. Significant seatbelt bruising should always prompt evaluation for rib fractures, sternal fractures, and internal chest injuries.
The injuries described above happen when safety equipment works as designed. But when a restraint system is defective, the injuries are often far worse. A defective airbag or seatbelt introduces a product liability claim on top of the standard car accident case, which can significantly increase your potential compensation and add additional defendants to your claim.
Airbag defects fall into several categories:
The Takata airbag crisis is the most significant automotive safety defect in history. Approximately 67 million Takata airbag inflators have been recalled in the United States because the ammonium nitrate propellant inside them degrades over time, particularly in hot, humid environments. When a degraded Takata inflator deploys, it can rupture and send metal shrapnel into the vehicle cabin. At least 35 deaths and over 400 injuries in the United States have been attributed to defective Takata airbags.
The recall affects vehicles from more than 17 manufacturers spanning model years from the early 2000s through the mid-2010s. Despite years of recall notices, millions of affected vehicles remain unrepaired. If you were injured by a Takata airbag in Massachusetts, you may have product liability claims against both Takata (through its bankruptcy trust) and the vehicle manufacturer.
Seatbelt defects are less publicized than airbag defects but equally dangerous:
Massachusetts handles product liability claims differently than most states. Instead of applying strict tort liability, Massachusetts uses the implied warranty of merchantability under Mass. Gen. Laws Ch. 106, §2-314 as its functional equivalent. This means you do not have to prove the manufacturer was negligent. You must prove the product was defective and unreasonably dangerous, and that the defect caused your injuries.
Three types of defects can support a product liability claim against an airbag or seatbelt manufacturer:
Under Mass. Gen. Laws Ch. 106, §2-318, you do not need to be the person who purchased the vehicle to bring a product liability claim. Anyone who is foreseeably affected by the defective product, including passengers, can sue the manufacturer, distributor, or retailer.
Depending on the circumstances of your crash and the nature of your restraint injuries, you may have claims against multiple parties:
Pursuing claims against multiple defendants increases the total available insurance coverage and compensation. The at-fault driver may carry only the Massachusetts minimum of $20,000 in liability coverage, but a product liability claim against a manufacturer accesses the manufacturer's product liability insurance, which typically carries limits in the millions.
Tell your doctor specifically about any injuries in the pattern of your seatbelt or in areas struck by the airbag. Chemical burns, seatbelt bruising, hearing changes, and eye irritation should all be documented in your medical records on the day of the crash. Photograph the seatbelt bruising pattern on your body, any burns on your face, hands, or arms, and any visible airbag residue.
Your vehicle is critical evidence. The airbag module, seatbelt mechanism, and event data recorder (EDR) contain information about how the restraint systems performed during the crash. If a product liability claim is possible, your attorney will need to have these components inspected by an expert. Inform your insurance company that you are preserving the vehicle and do not authorize repairs or disposal until your attorney advises otherwise.
Search your vehicle's VIN at NHTSA.gov/recalls to determine whether any open recalls affect your airbag or seatbelt system. If your vehicle had an unrepaired recall at the time of the crash and the recalled component contributed to your injuries, this strengthens your product liability claim significantly.
The at-fault driver's insurance company will try to settle your claim based solely on the accident itself. They will not tell you that your injuries may support a separate product liability claim worth significantly more. Once you sign a release with the at-fault driver's insurer, you may waive rights that affect your product liability claim. Talk to an attorney who handles both car accident and product liability cases before accepting any settlement.
For standard car accident injury claims, the statute of limitations is three years from the date of the crash under Mass. Gen. Laws Ch. 260, §2A. Product liability claims based on breach of the implied warranty of merchantability are governed by a four-year statute of limitations under Mass. Gen. Laws Ch. 106, §2-725, running from the date of the sale (not the date of injury), although courts have applied the discovery rule in cases where the defect was not immediately apparent.
The interplay between these two limitation periods makes timing critical. A victim who waits too long to investigate a potential product defect may lose the product liability claim even if the standard accident claim is still within its three-year window. Starting the investigation early preserves both claims.
Yes. If the airbag deployed correctly and your injuries are a normal consequence of the deployment, the at-fault driver who caused the crash is responsible for those injuries. If the airbag was defective, deployed with excessive force, deployed late, or failed to deploy, you may also have a product liability claim against the manufacturer.
Yes. Seatbelt injuries, including rib fractures, seatbelt syndrome, clavicle fractures, and internal organ damage, are injuries caused by the crash and are included in your claim against the at-fault driver. The at-fault driver is liable for all injuries that flow from the collision, including those caused by your own vehicle's safety systems.
If your airbag should have deployed based on the type and severity of the crash but did not, you may have a product liability claim against the airbag manufacturer or vehicle manufacturer. An expert can analyze your vehicle's crash data and airbag system to determine whether a malfunction occurred. Injuries that would have been prevented or reduced by a properly deploying airbag become the manufacturer's responsibility.
Yes. As of 2026, the Takata airbag recall remains the largest automotive recall in U.S. history, affecting approximately 67 million inflators across more than 17 manufacturers. Millions of vehicles with unrepaired Takata airbags remain on the road. Some manufacturers have issued Stop-Drive advisories for affected vehicles. You can check whether your vehicle is affected at NHTSA.gov/recalls using your VIN.
Massachusetts uses the implied warranty of merchantability under Mass. Gen. Laws Ch. 106, §2-314 as its functional equivalent of strict liability. You do not need to prove the manufacturer was negligent. You must prove the product was defective, it was unreasonably dangerous, and the defect caused your injuries. Anyone foreseeably affected by the product can bring this claim, not just the purchaser.
No. Massachusetts does not allow seatbelt non-use as evidence to reduce damages. Under state law, the failure to wear a seatbelt cannot be used against you in a personal injury case to argue comparative negligence or to reduce your compensation. This is a significant protection for accident victims in Massachusetts.
When your own vehicle's safety equipment causes serious injuries, you deserve compensation from every party responsible. Whether your claim is against the driver who caused the crash, the manufacturer who built a defective airbag, or both, Kiley Law Group has the experience to handle the full scope of your case.
We have been representing injured people across Massachusetts and New Hampshire for over 50 years, recovering more than $1 billion in verdicts and settlements. We handle car accident and product liability cases on a contingency basis. You pay nothing unless we win.
Call 978-474-8670 today for a free, no-obligation consultation.
This page is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Massachusetts law cited includes Mass. Gen. Laws Ch. 231, §85 (comparative negligence), Ch. 231, §6D (serious injury threshold), Ch. 260, §2A (personal injury statute of limitations), Ch. 106, §2-314 (implied warranty of merchantability), Ch. 106, §2-318 (privity), and Ch. 106, §2-725 (UCC statute of limitations). Recall information references NHTSA data. Laws change; consult a licensed Massachusetts attorney for advice specific to your situation.
