People often discover the problem in one of three ways:
- No deployment when you expected it. The crash may seem severe enough to trigger deployment, but the airbag doesn’t inflate.
- Deployment that causes additional harm. The airbag deploys, but injuries suggest the restraint system may not have worked as intended.
- A later discovery through repair work or safety notices. After the vehicle is inspected or repaired, documentation may reference airbag components, sensors, inflators, or restraint system faults.
Even if you don’t immediately connect the injury to the restraint system, your medical records and vehicle repair history can help establish whether the airbag malfunction is plausibly tied to what happened.


