NHTSA Complaint #11173949 — 1998 BMW 323I

REPORT#2:06/08/1999, MY LEFT FRONT DRIVER'S DOOR WAS STRUCK BY ANOTHER DRIVER,CAUSING MY CAR TO SPIN. I REGAINED MY CORRECT DRIVING PATH. TO AVOID ADDITIONAL COLLISIONS, I DEPARTED THE ROAD TO THE RIGHT NON-CURBED WET GRASSY ROADSIDE. TO AVOID STRIKING A WOOD TELEPHONE OR ELECTRICAL POLE, I TURNED SHARPLY RIGHT. I FIRMLY BRAKED & MY CAR SLID ON WET GRASS, COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP, MAKING FRONTAL LOW IMPACT WITH A BRICK ROADSIDE WALL. MY CAR FORTUNATELY HAD A AUTOMATIC FRONT SEAT-BELTING SYSTEM FOR MY CLOSED-TOP CONVERTBLE. MY 2 DAUGHTER PASSENGERS & I WERE ALL SEAT-BELTED. MY 10 YRS OLD, IN THE RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER'S SEAT & MY 4 YR OLD WAS IN THE REAR LEFT PASSENGER SEAT, DIRECTLY BEHIND ME. WE WERE ALL STARTLED BY THE EVENT. I COULD SEE MY DAUGHTER TO MY RIGHT SIDE WAS UNHARMED. KNOWING WE WOULD ALL NEED TO SOON EXIT THE CAR & I WOULD NEED TO ASSIST MY YOUNGEST, I UNBUCKLED MY SEATBELT. I NEXT TURNED MYSELF TO THE RIGHT, TO CHECK ON MY YOUNGEST DAUGHTER, BEHIND ME. I SAW SHE WAS OK. I NEXT HEARD A LOUD POP IN FRONT OF ME, SO I TURNED FORWARD TO SEE A SMALL RECTANGULAR PLASTIC PILLOW FILLING WITH AIR. I REALIZED IT MUST BE THE AIRBAG. NEXT I FELT A EXTREME PAINFUL, FORCEFUL BLOW AGAINST MY FACE & UPPER CHEST. THE AIRBAG OVER-AGGRESSIVELY DEPLOYED LATE. THE OVER-AGGRESSIVE FORCE OF THE AIRBAG CAUSED ME TO SUFFER A TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY, WITH A CURRENT LIFE-THREATENING BRAIN LESION. MY 2 MANDIBLES JAWS WERE EA.BROKEN IN 4 PLACES, REQUIRING 8 PERM. DENTAL PINS. EVERY BONE IN MY FACE WAS BROKEN, REQUIRING TITANIUM PLATE PLACEMENT OVER THE BROKEN BONES. MY SKULL-TOP HAD TO BE CUT OPEN TO RELIEVE THE INCREASED INTRACRANIAL PRESSURE. I TECHNICALLY DIED DUE TO MY LUNGS COLLAPSING AND EART-STOPPED DURING THE LIFE-FLIGHT HELICOPTER TRANSPORT, WHICH THE EMTS REVIVED ME FOR MY NEARLY ONE MONTH HOSPITAL RECOVERY & REHABILITATION. MY AIRBAG SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED. *DT*JB