The dedicated team of New City airbag injury lawyers at Fellows Hymowitz Rice routinely helps individuals who have suffered injuries from defective or malfunctioning airbags. When airbag systems fail or deploy improperly, they can cause severe injuries that leave victims facing substantial medical bills, lost wages, and significant pain and suffering.
We make it our mission to provide compassionate, personalized legal representation to ensure that you receive the care and support you need to move forward after an airbag injury. Our attorneys have the advanced knowledge, skills, and vast resources to take on major automobile manufacturers and parts suppliers who may be responsible for your injuries.
Defective airbags are not a problem that only happened decades ago. They are an active issue affecting current vehicles.
The Takata recall, described by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) as the largest and most complex automotive safety recall in U.S. history, involved approximately 67 million airbags across vehicles from 19 manufacturers. The defect, caused by ammonium nitrate propellant that degrades over time when exposed to heat and humidity, caused inflators to rupture explosively, sending metal fragments into the passenger cabin.
As of 2025, millions of affected vehicles remain on the road with unrepaired airbags. Fifty-eight people have died in relation to these defects. Thousands more have been injured.
Beyond Takata, airbag defects continue to emerge across the industry. Defective airbag systems can:
If you were hurt by an airbag that malfunctioned in any of these ways, you have legal options, and the clock on your ability to act is already running.
Airbag injury cases involve product liability law, which is fundamentally different from a standard car accident claim. You don't have to prove the manufacturer was careless or even negligent. Under New York's strict liability doctrine, a manufacturer can be held responsible simply because their product was defective and caused injury. But finding the proof requires understanding a supply chain that manufacturers have every incentive to make as confusing as possible.
A vehicle's airbag system may involve the automaker, the airbag supplier, the inflator manufacturer, the sensor producer, the dealership that serviced the vehicle, and aftermarket parts makers, each with its own legal team and insurance carrier. When something goes wrong, every one of those companies may point to the others and try to blame them.
Identifying who is actually responsible, preserving the physical evidence before it disappears, and building a case against a corporation with substantial legal resources requires attorneys who handle product liability regularly, not occasionally.
Airbag injuries don't happen randomly. They result from specific, identifiable failures, and understanding which type of failure caused yours is how we establish liability.
Whatever caused your airbag injury, we investigate all possible contributing factors to identify all responsible parties. And we will fight on your behalf to hold those responsible parties accountable for the injuries they caused.
The steps you take immediately after an airbag injury can determine whether you can build a successful claim. Here's what matters most.
Even if your injuries seem minor at first, see a doctor immediately. Airbag deployments can cause internal injuries, eye damage from chemical exposure, hearing loss, and traumatic brain injuries that don't show obvious symptoms right away. A gap between the accident and your first medical visit gives manufacturers a reason to argue your injuries came from somewhere else.
Take photographs of your injuries, the deployed airbag, all vehicle damage, and the surrounding scene. Keep all medical bills, records, and receipts related to your treatment. Write down what you remember about how the airbag deployed, whether it felt too forceful, fired at the wrong moment, or produced smoke or a burning smell. Those details can be significant later.
The vehicle itself is your most important piece of evidence. The airbag system, the inflator, the sensors, and the physical damage pattern all tell the story of what happened. Do not authorize repairs, and do not allow the vehicle to be moved or sold before an attorney has had a chance to preserve and inspect the evidence.
File a report with the NHTSA SaferCar complaint database. Your report contributes to the federal record, may trigger investigations that benefit other victims, and creates an official record of the incident.
Do not provide recorded statements to insurance adjusters or manufacturer representatives, and do not sign anything before speaking with an attorney. Initial settlement offers are almost never close to what your injuries are actually worth, and statements made without legal counsel can be used to undermine your claim.
The moment you call us, we take over all communication with insurers and corporate representatives and deal with all the paperwork. We’ll carry that heavy load so you can focus on getting better.
The severity of these injuries often depends on the nature of the defect, the position of the occupant, and the circumstances of the collision.
Get a free case evaluation from attorneys who know product liability. Contact us today.
When airbags cause injuries instead of preventing them, multiple parties in the automotive supply chain may bear responsibility.
Automobile manufacturers have a legal responsibility to ensure their vehicles, including all safety systems, are reasonably safe for consumers. When airbags are defective, the manufacturer may be held liable for resulting injuries.
Many manufacturers source airbags and components from third-party suppliers. These companies can be held responsible if they provided defective parts.
If a dealership or repair shop failed to properly address a known recall or improperly installed an airbag system, they may share liability for injuries.
Depending on the circumstances, other parties such as distributors, testing facilities, or regulatory compliance firms may bear some responsibility.
New York sets firm deadlines for product liability claims, and missing them ends your right to compensation regardless of how serious your injuries are.
Under N.Y. C.P.L.R. § 214, personal injury claims, including those arising from defective airbags, must generally be filed within 3 years from the date of injury.
Several important rules apply in airbag cases specifically:
Physical evidence also deteriorates. Airbag components, inflator residue, and vehicle damage patterns are time-sensitive. The sooner you contact us, the more complete your case can be.
New York product liability law allows airbag injury victims to pursue both economic and non-economic damages.
Economic damages include all medical expenses, such as emergency care, surgery, hospitalization, rehabilitation, and anticipated future treatment, along with lost wages, reduced earning capacity, property damage, and out-of-pocket costs related to your injury.
Non-economic damages cover pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, disfigurement and scarring, and loss of consortium for your spouse.
In product liability cases involving particularly reckless conduct, such as a manufacturer that knew about a defect and concealed it or chose profit over a known safety fix, punitive damages may also be available. These are intended to punish the wrongdoer and send a signal to the industry. Airbag cases involving documented recall failures are among the strongest candidates for punitive damages in personal injury law.
Product liability cases against major manufacturers are not won by accident. Here's what our team brings to yours.
We work with automotive engineers, airbag systems analysts, and accident reconstruction professionals to determine exactly what failed and why. That includes analyzing the inflator components, reviewing sensor data, examining the deployment sequence, and comparing the airbag system against the manufacturer's own specifications and safety standards.
We investigate the full supply chain: automaker, airbag supplier, inflator manufacturer, dealership, and any aftermarket parts involved. Product liability cases often involve multiple defendants, and finding all of them directly affects how much compensation you can recover.
From the moment you retain us, we take over all contact with insurance adjusters and corporate representatives. You stop fielding calls and pressure from the other side. We handle negotiations and, when necessary, litigation.
Airbag injuries frequently require long-term medical care, reconstructive procedures, and ongoing treatment for neurological or psychological effects. We work with medical professionals and financial analysts to ensure your claim accounts for everything, including costs and losses you haven't experienced yet.
We don't structure cases for quick settlements. We prepare every case as if it's going to trial, which gives us genuine leverage in negotiations. Manufacturers settle more, and for more, when they know the other side is ready for a courtroom.
Product liability cases against automobile manufacturers are among the most resource-intensive in personal injury law. Here's why our firm is the right choice.
Complex product liability litigation is one of the most difficult types of cases that a lawyer can litigate. Our attorneys have handled product liability cases involving automotive defects throughout their decades-long careers. We understand how manufacturers investigate, defend, and settle these claims, and we know where their arguments typically break down under scrutiny.
We're a Rockland County firm. We know the local courts, the judges, and the legal community, built over decades of practice here. That local presence matters in a case that may take months or years to resolve.
We represent airbag injury victims on a contingency fee basis. You pay nothing upfront, and we only collect a fee if we recover compensation for you. There is no financial risk in calling us.
You will always know where your case stands. We respond promptly, explain your options in plain terms, and make sure you are fully informed at every stage of the process.
Widely regarded as one of the region’s most successful plaintiff’s attorneys, Rob Fellows is the firm’s managing partner.
Steve Hymowitz is experienced in serving people who need help, but who do not have the resources to fight the big insurance companies on their own.
Regarded as one of the most passionate trial attorneys to litigate complex high-exposure personal injury matters in the tri-state area, Matthew “Matt” Rice possesses an unequaled fire and drive to succeed for his clients.
Joanne concentrates her practice on negligence, personal injuries, construction accidents, and medical malpractice law.
Margaret is a seasoned negotiator, expert in civil dispute resolution, with extensive experience handling homicide cases.
Jake is a dedicated, hardworking, and compassionate attorney with a unique perspective shaped by his experience representing both plaintiffs and defendants.
Whether your accident happened in Rockland County, one of New York City's boroughs, the Hudson Valley, or Long Island, Fellows Hymowitz Rice is ready to represent you. Our firm has practiced across New York for decades, and we bring that same level of commitment to every client, regardless of where their case originates.
The company that made your airbag was not concerned about your safety, but their bottom line. In many recalls, the company calculated that the cost of a recall exceeded that of lawsuits after people were seriously injured. Their “bean counters” assumed that you wouldn't have the legal support to hold them accountable. They assumed wrong.
Fellows Hymowitz Rice has spent over 40 years standing up for injured New Yorkers against manufacturers, corporations, and anyone else who puts their bottom-line profits ahead of your safety and the safety of your kids, your spouse, and your families. We don't quickly settle cases that are worth the fight. We don't back down when the other side has more lawyers and an unlimited litigation war chest.
Call us today for a free consultation. No obligation, no upfront cost, and no fee unless we win.
No, not without an attorney. Adjusters work for the insurance company, not for you. Their questions are designed to produce statements that can be used to reduce your payout or shift blame. Even small inconsistencies in what you say compared to what you later claim can be used against you. Let our attorneys handle all communication from the start.
New York follows a pure comparative negligence rule under N.Y. C.P.L.R. § 1411, which means you can still recover compensation even if you share some responsibility for your injuries. Your recovery would be reduced by your percentage of fault, but it is not eliminated. Manufacturers often raise seatbelt use as a defense. We know how to respond to it.
Potentially, yes. The analysis depends on when you received notice, what steps you took, and whether the manufacturer and dealer adequately notified you and provided timely access to repair. These cases are fact-specific, and manufacturers will argue that your failure to complete the recall limits their liability. We can evaluate the specific circumstances of your situation.
The vehicle's prior ownership doesn't eliminate product liability. If a defective airbag injured you, the manufacturer of the defective component may still be liable regardless of how many times the car changed hands. Dealerships that sold the vehicle with an open recall may also share responsibility.
Every case is different. The value depends on the severity and permanence of your injuries, your medical costs now and in the future, your lost income and earning capacity, and the extent of your pain and suffering. In cases involving documented manufacturer misconduct, punitive damages can significantly increase the total. We work with medical and financial professionals to calculate the full picture before any number is discussed.
