Defective Guardrails Causing Injury and Death
All across America, highways are lined with Trinity Industries’ guardrails. It has come to the attention of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) that these guardrails are actually piercing vehicles and slicing into occupants. The injuries from these guardrails include severed limbs and death.
How is it possible that something that is designed to protect people is actually injuring and killing people? Apparently, the guardrail manufacturer made the decision to shorten a piece of metal on the end of the guardrail from 5 inches to 4 inches, creating a savings for their company of $2 per piece, totaling $50,000 per year. This modification, according to victims, changes the way the guardrail absorbs impact. So, instead of ribboning upon impact, the guardrail locks up, and slices through the vehicle.
The subject guardrails were only approved by the FHWA with the 5 inch metal piece. Trinity Industries failed to disclose the 4 inch modification to the government. The rails were installed in states without their approval of the modification. As a result, four states have already halted the use of the guardrail. Will Pennsylvania do the same? We don’t know. But we do know that these guardrails are installed on PA roads. There has already been at least one Pennsylvanian injured. She lost her leg in a crash.
A Texas jury recently found against Trinity industries, and awarded $175 million in damages, most of which goes to the government. The jury determined that Trinity defrauded the government when it sold modified guardrails to states without disclosing the modification. Trinity Industries will appeal the jury’s determination. Meanwhile, the recent news coverage only serves to aid injury attorneys across the country in their representation of those injured or killed by the guardrails.
