Philadelphia Injury Attorney Blog

As an experienced Philadelphia airbag defect lawyer, I receive many calls each year from people whose airbags failed to aggressively deploy or for some other malfunction. Two days ago, I received a call from a client whose airbag deployed in an improper fashion yet she did not sustain an injury serious enough for us to warrant taking her case. At that point, she was more interested in having the airbags replaced on the secondary market due to the fact that she could not afford to take her car back to the dealer for a proper and more costly repair. She discussed with me the possibility of buying airbags or airbag parts on eBay and having a mechanic friend of hers install them.

Curiously, I went to eBay looking up parts and accessories concerning airbags and saw that I could buy a pair of airbags for $39.99. Quite a considerable difference from the manufacturer’s retail price. What concerned me most was the fact that if an airbag was not installed correctly or by a qualified installer, the passengers would be subjected to risks of catastrophic injuries including death. For a used airbag to operate properly, a qualified installer must install the used airbag in accordance with the vehicle manufacturer’s specifications. Noticeably, there was a disclaimer on the site of the airbag seller that stated “the installer of a used airbag must test whether the used airbag will function properly. The purchaser of a used airbag from the seller agrees to accept all risks of damages or injuries including death relating to the use of a used airbag.”

As an experienced airbag defect lawyer, I can state that airbags save many lives in car accidents and I would strongly advise against anyone purchasing a used airbag over the web and having a neighborhood mechanic install them without properly investigating the situation. Safety and injury prevention is of paramount importance and airbag installation requires expertise. One should never shortcut on their health or safety.