When Car Safety Features Cause Problems in an Accident: A Peachtree City Legal Guide

Modern vehicles are engineered with dozens of safety systems designed to save lives. Airbags, anti-lock brakes, lane departure warnings, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, and electronic stability control all work in concert to reduce the 40,000+ traffic fatalities the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) records every year on American roads. But here is the uncomfortable truth few drivers in Peachtree City want to consider: car safety features cause problems in accidents far more often than manufacturers admit — and when those systems malfunction, misfire, or deploy unexpectedly, the injuries can be catastrophic.

At Helping The Hurt, we have represented clients along Highway 54, MacDuff Parkway, and the SR-74 corridor whose injuries were caused or made worse by the very technology meant to protect them. From rogue airbag deployments on the cart paths near Lake Peachtree to phantom braking incidents on I-85 just north of the city, defective and over-aggressive safety systems are a growing source of personal injury litigation. This guide explains how, why, and what to do if it happens to you.

The Hidden Risks of Modern Vehicle Safety Technology

The auto industry has spent more than $200 billion developing Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), and roughly 92.7% of new vehicles sold in the United States in 2024 came equipped with at least one automated safety feature. Yet the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) reports that ADAS-related crash complaints to NHTSA increased by nearly 300% between 2018 and 2023.

The most common safety-feature failures we see in our Peachtree City practice include:

• Airbag over-deployment or non-deployment — The infamous Takata recall affected 67 million airbags in the U.S. alone, with shrapnel injuries continuing to surface years later.
• Phantom braking — Automatic emergency braking systems that activate without cause, often on highways like I-85 and SR-74, causing rear-end collisions.
• Seatbelt pretensioner failures — Pretensioners that lock too tightly can fracture sternums, ribs, and clavicles.
• Lane-keep assist overcorrection — Systems that yank the steering wheel toward oncoming traffic.
• Adaptive cruise control disengagement — Sudden deactivation without driver warning at highway speeds.

These are not theoretical risks. They are documented patterns reflected in NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation files and class-action settlements totaling billions of dollars.

How Airbags Can Cause Catastrophic Injuries

Airbags deploy at speeds of 100 to 220 miles per hour. That kind of force, when properly calibrated, distributes crash energy across the body and prevents fatal head and chest injuries. When miscalibrated, contaminated with defective propellant, or triggered by minor impacts, an airbag becomes a weapon.

Common airbag-related injuries we have litigated in Fayette County include:

• Traumatic brain injury (TBI) from facial impact with the inflator module
• Facial fractures, broken noses, and orbital bone injuries
• Chemical burns from sodium azide propellant
• Hearing loss caused by deployment noise exceeding 165 decibels
• Lacerations from shrapnel in Takata-style inflators
• Cervical spine injuries from violent head whipping

Georgia product liability law (O.C.G.A. § 51-1-11) provides a 10-year statute of repose for product defect claims, but the statute of limitations for personal injury is only two years from the date of injury. If you suspect an airbag malfunction contributed to your injuries, time is critical. Our Car Accident Lawyer in Atlanta team handles airbag defect cases throughout the metro region.

ADAS Failures: When Computers Make the Wrong Decision

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems rely on cameras, radar, lidar, and machine-learning algorithms to interpret the road. The technology is impressive — but it is also imperfect. A 2023 AAA Foundation study found that ADAS-equipped vehicles experienced some form of system error every eight miles on average, with serious errors (false braking, lane departure, or collision warning failures) occurring roughly every 80 to 100 miles.

In Peachtree City, where the unique mix of golf cart paths, residential streets, and high-speed corridors like SR-74 creates a complex driving environment, ADAS systems frequently misinterpret their surroundings. We have seen automatic emergency braking systems mistake golf carts crossing at signalized intersections for stationary obstacles, causing dangerous panic stops on busy roadways.

When ADAS technology fails and causes a crash, liability becomes legally complex. Potential defendants may include:

• The vehicle manufacturer (defective design or manufacturing)
• The software developer (defective code)
• Sensor or component suppliers (defective parts)
• The dealership (improper installation or calibration after windshield replacement)
• Other negligent drivers whose conduct triggered the failure

Sorting through this web of responsibility requires forensic engineers, event data recorder (EDR) analysis, and software discovery — capabilities our firm builds into every defect case. Learn more about our investigative approach on our About Our Firm page.

Seatbelt and Pretensioner Defects in Peachtree City Crashes

Seatbelts save approximately 14,955 lives every year according to NHTSA. But defective seatbelts and pretensioners can also cause severe internal injuries — even fatalities. Common defects include:

• False latching — The belt appears latched but releases on impact
• Spool-out — The retractor fails to lock during a sudden stop, allowing the occupant to slide forward
• Over-aggressive pretensioning — The belt cinches with such force that it fractures bones or causes internal bleeding
• Webbing tears — Sub-standard fabric fails under crash loads

If you survived a serious crash on Highway 74 near Kedron Village or near the Avenue Peachtree City shopping district and your injuries seem inconsistent with proper restraint, a defective seatbelt may be to blame. Preserve the vehicle — do not allow your insurer to total it and send it to salvage until your attorney inspects the restraint system.

What to Do When You Suspect a Safety Feature Caused Your Injuries

The steps you take in the first 72 hours after a crash often determine whether you can recover compensation when a safety feature malfunctions. Here is what we tell every Peachtree City client:

1. Get medical treatment immediately. Visit Piedmont Fayette Hospital or an urgent care facility. Document every symptom — including the unusual ones (burns, hearing loss, chemical exposure symptoms).
2. Photograph everything. Capture deployed airbags, seatbelt positions, dashboard warning messages, and any visible component damage.
3. Do not let the vehicle be repaired or destroyed. The vehicle is evidence. Insurers move quickly to salvage totaled cars — sometimes within days. A preservation letter from your attorney can stop this.
4. Obtain the EDR (black box) data. Most modern vehicles record speed, braking, steering input, and airbag deployment timing for the 5 to 30 seconds before impact.
5. Check for active recalls. Use NHTSA.gov and enter your VIN. An open recall on the affected system is powerful evidence.
6. Contact a personal injury attorney with product liability experience. These cases require resources most general practitioners cannot provide.

At Helping The Hurt, our Free Case Review includes an initial review of potential product defect claims at no cost, no obligation, and on a contingency basis — meaning you pay nothing unless we recover.

Building a Product Liability Case in Georgia

Georgia recognizes three theories of product liability: design defect, manufacturing defect, and failure to warn. To succeed, your attorney must typically prove:

• The product was defective when it left the manufacturer
• The defect made the product unreasonably dangerous
• The defect was the proximate cause of your injuries
• You suffered actual damages

Manufacturers will fight these cases aggressively. They have in-house engineers, retained experts, and litigation budgets in the tens of millions. They will argue user error, prior maintenance issues, post-sale modification, or that the injuries would have occurred regardless of the alleged defect. This is why selecting an experienced firm matters.

Our team coordinates with biomechanical engineers, accident reconstructionists, materials scientists, and software forensic experts to build cases that withstand manufacturer defense tactics. We have handled claims involving every major auto brand and most ADAS technology suppliers. Explore the full range of cases we handle on our Practice Areas page, or learn about related claims through our Truck Accident Attorney and Motorcycle Accident Lawyer teams.

Frequently Asked Questions

About the Author — Helping The Hurt

Helping The Hurt is a Georgia-based personal injury law firm serving clients throughout Peachtree City, Fayetteville, Tyrone, Newnan, and the greater Atlanta metropolitan area. Our attorneys have recovered millions of dollars for victims of car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle crashes, defective products, workplace injuries, and medical malpractice. We combine the resources of a large firm with the personalized attention of a local practice, and we are recognized for our willingness to take on complex product liability and ADAS defect cases that other firms decline. Learn more on our About Our Firm page or by visiting our Personal Injury Attorney in Atlanta practice page.

Injured by a Defective Safety System? Get Answers Today.

If you or a loved one were hurt in a crash anywhere in Peachtree City — from the Planterra Ridge area to the Wynnmeade neighborhood, from Highway 54 to the SR-74 corridor — and you suspect a safety feature may have malfunctioned, do not wait. Evidence disappears fast. Statutes of limitation run quickly. Manufacturers begin building their defense from the day of the crash.

Call Helping The Hurt for a free, confidential case review or visit our Contact Us page. There is no fee unless we win, and our team is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You focus on healing. We will handle the fight.