Over the past 14 months, four airbag lawsuits against automakers have gone to trial. The suits arose from alleged airbag design defects that caused the devices to deploy during low-speed crashes, killing children riding in the front seat. So far, the automakers have successfully defended each of these suits.
Attorneys representing automakers claim that their recent victories prove that juries are properly analyzing the risks and benefits of airbags.
It is clear that airbags save lives. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, airbags have saved 6,856 American lives. However, over the last 10 years, airbags have also killed 175 people.
Lawyers for the families of those injured or killed point to numerous confidential settlements reached between automakers and plaintiffs. They claim these settlements prove that automakers know airbags are defective.
Representatives of the auto industry, however, argue that airbags are safe and that the confidential settlements are not an admission of legal liability. According to the automakers, settlement offers and agreements are the result of many factors, including the cost of litigation, and they are not necessarily an admission of legal liability.