Porsche Airbag Lawsuit Claims Improper Deployment Resulted in Permanent Injuries

Lawsuit alleges a Porsche Cayenne’s airbags failed to deploy, after a defective gas pedal caused the vehicle to accelerate before it crashed into multiple objects, went airborne and landed on the roof of a garage.

A California woman has filed a lawsuit alleging she suffered serious injuries after the gas pedal in her Porsche Cayenne became stuck, causing a high-speed crash in which the vehicle’s airbags failed to deploy.

The complaint (PDF) was brought by Linda Baca in the Superior Court of Alameda County, California on June 22, naming Porsche Cars North America Inc. as the defendant.

Baca claims the Porsche Cayenne accelerated uncontrollably after the gas pedal became stuck, causing a high-speed crash in which the airbags and seatbelt restraints failed to activate, leaving her with severe head, chest and upper body injuries.

Airbag Failure Risks

Airbags are intended to inflate almost instantly during a collision, helping protect occupants by reducing the impact with the steering wheel, dashboard, windshield and other parts of the vehicle’s interior. When an airbag fails to deploy or otherwise malfunctions, drivers and passengers can lose an important layer of crash protection, increasing the likelihood of severe or fatal injuries.

A series of airbag failure lawsuits have been filed against automobile manufacturers in recent years. In March, a lawsuit was filed against Toyota alleging a design defect caused the airbags of a RAV4 vehicle to fail to deploy. The driver suffered severe head injuries after her head struck the steering wheel.

A wrongful death lawsuit was filed against FCA in mid-June after the airbag of a Jeep Grand Cherokee failed to deploy, allegedly resulting in the death of a Massachusetts man. In addition to the failed airbag, the lawsuit indicates the driver’s seat collapsed backward during the accident.

Porsche Safety Failure Allegations

According to the lawsuit, Baca was driving her Porsche Cayenne on June 14, 2024 when she claims a design defect caused the gas pedal to become stuck, accelerating the vehicle to 80 mph. The Porsche then hit a curb, a mailbox, two trees and a parked Mercedes before going airborne and landing on top of a garage.

Neither the airbag nor the seatbelt restraint activated, Baca claims. She suffered injuries to her head, chest and upper body after violently striking the steering wheel, dashboard and windshield without any airbag restraint. Baca required medical attention and suffered severe and permanent physical injuries.

Had the airbags deployed as intended, Baca suggests injuries could have been reduced in severity and scope. She claims the design and manufacturing defects made the Porsche Cayenne unreasonably dangerous to drive.

“Porsche owed a duty of care to Plaintiff to design, manufacture, and distribute motor vehicles with safe, reliable, and properly functioning gas pedal and airbag systems.”

— Linda Baca v. Porsche Cars North America Inc.

Baca raises allegations of strict product liability, negligence and breach of implied warranty. She seeks compensation for damages including medical expenses, lost wages, as well as past and future pain and suffering.

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