Tennessee Injury Law Center
I was in an automobile wreck. The front airbag did not work. I received injuries to my chest and face. Do I have a case against the auto manufacturer?
You might. Airbags are designed to fire under certain circumstances, the most important of which include the speed at impact and the angle of impact. An airbag is not designed to fire in every accident.
An experienced product liability lawyer can tell you whether it makes economic sense to investigate a claim against the auto manufacturer. Be sure to preserve the car and do not alter it in any.
If there is a valid case here Tennessee law requires that it must be filed in court no more than one year after the wreck that caused the injuries. Also, Tennessee has what is known as a "statute of repose" in products liability cases. It says that claims against a car manufacturer (and the manufacturers of most products) must be filed no more than 10 years after the product is sold to the first user or consumer. Thus, there are two deadlines which apply: one year within the date of the injury, but no more than 10 years after the date of original sale. These rules can be tricky to apply, so I would suggest you talk to an experienced product liability lawyer as soon as possible.
You can read more about product liability cases in Tennessee here.