Collapsed Lungs from Defective Airbags
Your lungs have an average of 480 alveoli, or tiny air sacs that trap air and allow your blood to exchange carbon dioxide waste for fresh oxygen. However, if your delicate lung tissue collapses, there is no longer room for the alveoli to perform this vital task. This can prevent you from inhaling the oxygen that your body needs.
A collapsed lung, medically termed a pneumothorax, can occur due to lung ailments and weaknesses. However, they are often the result of trauma to the chest, including damage from defective airbags. If you have suffered a collapsed lung from a flawed airbag, you may be able to pursue financial compensation from a negligent manufacturer through a civil lawsuit. Contact a Stevens Point auto defect attorney from Habush Habush & Rottier S.C. ®, today at 800-242-2874 to discuss your case.
Causes of Collapsed Lungs
Your lungs, heart, and part of your esophagus all occupy the small space that is the thoracic cavity. In order to grant sufficient space for the lungs to expand, the diaphragm pulls down towards the abdominal chamber, causing your lungs to expand and draw in air. As the diaphragm relaxes, it pushes carbon dioxide out of the lungs.
Trauma inflicted upon the chest can puncture the delicate lung tissue, creating a hole through which air can escape into the chest cavity where it puts pressure on the lungs, preventing them from expanding for you to breathe.
Chest Trauma from Faulty Airbags
Normally, airbags deploy with a very specific amount of force that is enough to stop your momentum but not enough to cause damage. However, if an airbag inflates with too much force, or deploys at a random time, this can deliver a powerful blow to your chest, resulting in pnuemothorax. On the other hand, if a faulty airbag fails to release during an accident, you may instead suffer from chest trauma due to hitting the steering wheel.
Contact Us
Signs of a collapsed lung include chest pain, shortness of breath, and rapid heartbeat. Medical attention may be necessary to drain the lost air and to repair the hole in the lungs. If you have suffered from this painful, serious injury due to an airbag defect, you should contact a Stevens Point auto defect lawyer from Habush Habush & Rottier S.C. ®, at 800-242-2874 today.
