People usually realize something is off in one of three ways:
- No deployment when you expected it (the crash looked severe, but the restraint system didn’t respond).
- Unexpected or abnormal deployment (the airbag went off in a way that contributed to injury).
- Injury pattern doesn’t match the crash (medical findings suggest the restraint system may have failed or behaved incorrectly).
If you’re wondering whether you should treat this as an “accident claim” or a vehicle safety defect issue, the best answer depends on what the vehicle did during the crash and what medical records show afterward.


