Written by Brad Cranmer, who handles burn injury claim cases at Mansfield Melancon Injury Lawyers — mmcdlaw.com/about-us/our-team/brad-cranmer/
Burn injuries from a car crash catch people off guard. They don’t always come from an obvious source. An airbag deploying at close range can cause chemical and thermal burns from the propellant and friction. A ruptured battery, a fuel leak near a hot engine, or exhaust contact during a rollover can all cause burns that show up alongside the more expected injuries from the crash itself. A burn injury claim needs to account for all of it.
Why a Burn Injury Claim Gets Valued Differently
Burns carry a different medical trajectory than fractures or soft-tissue injuries. Depending on severity, they can require skin grafts, months of wound care, physical therapy to manage scarring and mobility, and sometimes multiple reconstructive surgeries spread out over years. A claim that only accounts for the initial emergency room visit misses most of what a serious burn actually costs.
Airbag and Exhaust Burns Specifically
Airbag burns happen more often than people realize. The chemical propellant that inflates the bag, not the fabric itself, usually causes them. According to NHTSA, airbags deploy in even minor crashes, which means friction and chemical burns show up more often than most people expect. Exhaust and engine burns typically happen when someone is trapped or slow to exit a vehicle, often in rollover situations where escaping quickly isn’t straightforward.
Scarring, Disfigurement, and Long-Term Damages
Louisiana law allows recovery for permanent scarring and disfigurement as part of general damages, separate from the economic cost of medical treatment. Visible scarring, particularly on the face or hands, carries its own recognized value under Louisiana law. That’s because of its lasting impact on a person’s life, beyond just the physical healing process.
When a Burn Injury Claim Becomes a Product Liability Case
If an airbag malfunctioned, deployed improperly, or caused burns disproportionate to what a properly functioning system should cause, that opens the door to a separate product liability claim against the manufacturer. That’s in addition to any claim against the at-fault driver. These cases require technical investigation into whether the airbag or restraint system actually worked the way engineers designed it to. Our catastrophic injury team handles these more complex cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
What determines a burn injury claim’s value?
The severity and location of the burn, whether skin grafts or reconstructive surgery are needed, and whether there’s permanent scarring, which Louisiana law recognizes as its own category of damages.
Are airbag burns compensable in a claim?
Yes. Airbag deployment burns, whether from friction or chemical propellant, are a recognized injury that can be included in a crash injury claim, and sometimes support a separate product liability claim if the airbag malfunctioned.
Does scarring affect a burn injury claim?
It can significantly. Louisiana law allows recovery for permanent scarring and disfigurement separately from medical costs, particularly when the scarring is visible or affects daily function.
Who’s liable for a defective airbag burn?
Potentially the vehicle or airbag manufacturer, in addition to the at-fault driver, if the airbag deployed improperly or caused burns beyond what a properly functioning system should cause.
A burn injury claim deserves to reflect the recovery still ahead of you, not just the emergency room bill. Call us before you sign anything.