Need Help Please !

Hello,
This is very new to me (first as a matter of fact) and I sure hope that it does get posted. I have a very serious question and need some answers, PLEASE HELP ME !
We have a 2006 Toyota Matrix that my husband's parents gave us about 9 months ago. They had 2 and loved them but was getting to old to drive and decided to give us one. It had been taken excellent care of and we have taken excellent care of it since we had it. We are in the process of moving from OH to TN and I was driving the Matrix and he was driving the van last Friday (we was to be in TN on Sat. morning to meet the moving van/truck. On the way down I lost control of the matrix in WV going around those curves it is a bad road through there. The car was loaded with odds and ends, I had my seatbelt on but this accident way horrible. I lost control hit the guardrail spanned around about 4 times and hit the concrete divider according to the young men behind me. Then spin around several move times and ended up back near the guardrail facing traffic. Just so happens that there was a trooper coming that was at the scene in a matter of minutes. My head went through the passenger side window and broken it to a thousand pieces, then I hit the windshield and busted it out with the top of my head. I had only minor cuts and scraped to my face, black & blue all over. I was in shock, I was having a hard time breathing but I felt it was because I was so scared. I have a pacemaker on the left side. I refused to go to the hospital since we still had 3.5 hrs to get home to meet the movers. So I got with my husband and we got my oxygen out and the other important things and they towed the car away, it was not able to be pulled by a wrecker, the wheel was broken off, front right side. and the back left side was broken. I signed a waiver to not go to the hospital but on the trip home I became worse, hard to breath and chest pains horrible, so I cried all the way to the hospital in Johnson City. When we arrived there I was taken to trauma and was shocked to learn that I had a broken back and shoulder, possibly a broken bone in the neck also!
Now this is what is going to get you all and I need help with....... after hitting the guardrail going between 65/70 spinning around and hitting the concrete divider and spinning around more, not a one of the airbags deployed!!!! The seatbelt came loose and was lodged in the place that you pull it out of. But that could have been from something that we was hauling in the car hitting it during all the spinning and hitting the hard surface. We are shocked and surprised that the airbags did not deploy. I could have been killed or been paralyzed to say the least and this scares me about the safety of the Toyota, I had always been told that Totota;s were the best cars that you could buy, they would last forever, we was hoping this would be the case for us but it sure wasn't. I loved this little car. It drove so good and we was thrilled that we was given this car with so little amount of miles on it and in such good condition.
I was in the hospital for 5 days and I am suppose to have complete bed rest & have to wear a back brace for 4 months but may end up having surgery, I have to go back in 1 week for additional tests and we will find out then.
Should Toyota be held responsible for this since the airbags did not deploy and the seatbelt malfunctioned? This is something totally new to me. I am in my mid 50's so this big a hit has been very hard on my body. I am having a tough time getting over this. I need some answers as to what I should do next, where I should turn next, just waiting on insurance now.
Thanks.
Donna

 

So what was it that compelled you to join here and ask a legal question on a truck site about a car we more than likely know nothing about?

 

I hope you get the help you need but I would suggest some legal advice. Here are some websites that may be able to help you. Good luck.

http://www.freeadvice.com/

http://www.worldlawdirect.com/

http://www.findlaw.com/

http://www.justice.gov/eoir/probono/states.htm

 

Don't know why you posted this on a Tacoma forum... but anyway... sorry you were hurt.

Airbags don't always deploy unless it's a head on type collision. They are not designed to deploy from a side ways impact. That's what side curtain air bags are for.

You said yourself in your post, that the seat belt could have been blocked by something you were carrying. You also said you lost control. Those are both things that could have been prevented. Don't know that you'd have much luck with Toyota.


Good luck and hope you recover quickly.

 

Is this for real?

 

So I hate people that feel like someone else is always responsible for there problems.

 

I just typed in "Matrix airbag issues" and this site appeared so I decided to write......"Hoping I would get someone that was NICE enought to help with an answer reather than be so smart. There have been some very nice people that have offered some advice. It does not matter if you drive a car of truck does it, if something does not work it does not work, but some people think (I guess) if you drive a truck you are BIGGER than someone that drives a car! Sad isn't it?

 

Hard to believe that just because you have a 3.5 hour trip left, you waive receiving medical attention. That in itself will get you nowhere as far as legality issues. A di*k defense for the company would suggest that you left the scene ok but returned to another Hospital hours later with injuries=you COULD have injured yourself after the accident as well and not necessarily in the collision. Not saying this is the case just saying what a company would do to save their asses as well.

 

I think she thinks this is a blog or something instead of a tacoma forum. Hope you feel better tho, sounds like a nasty crash

 

When I search that same thing I get these:

<LI class=g>Airbag light on - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

13 posts - 9 authors - Last post: May 4, 2009
I took my '05 XRS Matrix to the dealership since the airbag ... centre airbag sensor would "likely" solve the problem but aren't certain. ...
www.toyotanation.com/forum/showthread.php?t=216433 - Cached - Similar
Get more discussion results

<LI class=g style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 8px">05 Matrix Airbag Indicator Light - Toyota Matrix Owners Forum

4 posts - 4 authors - Last post: Aug 25, 2009
My car is an 05 matrix bone stock and at 76k miles so way out of any ... which is a problem with the passenger air bag on/off assembly. ...
matrixowners.com/index.../84097-05-matrix-airbag-indicator-light/ - Cached
Get more discussion results

<LI class=g style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 8px">Intermittent Airbag Light? 05 Matrix Xr - Toyota Matrix Owners ...

4 posts - 3 authors - Last post: Oct 12, 2010
I have a 2003 Toyota Matrix XR. The first problem that occurred was the ...
matrixowners.com/index.php/topic/...airbag...matrix.../page__st__20 - Cached
Get more discussion results

<LI class=g id=mbb4>Intermittent Airbag Light? 05 Matrix Xr - Toyota Matrix Owners Forum

20 posts - 13 authors - Last post: Dec 22, 2009
Anyone else has this intermittent airbag light issue? not sure if it. ...
matrixowners.com/.../79759-intermittent-airbag-light-05-matrix-xr/ - Cached

no one on here said anything about trucks being better, it was questioned why you would come here asking a legal question. For better answers on the Matrix you might want to try a site that caters to the matrix like the above mentioned matrixowners.com. If what you wrote is true then good luck to you, if not goodbye

 

I'm not trying to be a dick, but I don't see it.

EDIT: I did find a thread listed on TW eventually, 5 pages in on the search results.
Seems odd to come here though anyway.

Heal up!

 

OK, peeps, I do need to point something out here regarding what sort of things get posted on this site and what is "appropriate" (which has nothing to do with a noob's expectations, which are irrelevant):

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/off-topic-discussion/165334-casey-anthony-not-guilty-wtf.html

Just sayin'

 

I don't get it.

 

anyone seen my dog?

 

I just typed in a question .... never been to this site, it came up so I decided that if there were people out there that responded to website questions I may be lucky enough to get somone that is NICE enough to help a lady that has a question.
I did not need any additional smart mouth answers. I have suffered enough with the broken back, shoulder and brusied liver and other issues. I felt that I would get some answers about airbags only, I loved my Toyota, and would love to have another as soon as I am well enough to shop for one.
Sorry that people had to take this question as being something bad, wasn't meant to talk bad about Toyota at all.
Thanks for the people that wished me well and tried to offer me some advice, I aprfeciate that very mnuch.

 

I dont think anyone took it as something bad against Toyota. Really you can think what you want of Toyota, I don't work for them I reallt don't care. People were more wondering why you came here to ask if you should legal counsel on your airbags not deploying. Kind of an odd way to say hello, I am sure you can see that now. Again good luck and Also this is a Tacoma site, have you checked in with any matrix sites?

 

You would think tht going 65 or 70 and hot a guardrail and concrete divider that would be enough to deploy an airbag. I was hurt but in shock. We had to be in TN to meet the mover truck. I thought that with time the soreness would wear off, mistake, it only got worse and worse. So as soon as we got to the hospital I had to go in and straight to trama unit, broken back/shoulder and bruised liver and other things. Some people that replied back are being ugly and act as if it is my fault and I want something for nothing. I just want some answers to the airbags because I had never been in an accident before. Thank you for your kindness and your help.

 

maybe this will help with the airbag issue... at what angle did you hit?

http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/airbags/airbags03/page3.html