Canadian Province Joins Ban on Controversial Guardrail

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More than 30 states have suspended the use of a controversial highway guardrail head. Now, the Canadian province of Quebec has joined the suspension in hopes of adequately protecting their citizens from malfunctioning safety equipment. Quebec’s Transportation Ministry has removed the ET-Plus model of highway end terminal from their list of approved products and will halt installation of the material until the manufacturing company, Trinity Industries, can prove their product is safe.

A Texas jury recently found that Trinity Industries had defrauded the federal government by failing to report changes in the design of the guardrail end terminal. The design changes, put into effect in 2005, went unreported until questioned about it in 2012. In that time, experts say many accidents involving the ET-Plus model were made worse by the newer, inferior version.

ABCnews.go.com reports that the ET-Plus system has been known to malfunction by locking up and piercing through crashing vehicles. Some accidents involving the modified guardrail head have resulted in amputations, other injuries, and even death.

Though many states have stopped the installation of this device, the reality is that the modified ET-Plus has been installed thousands of times over the last few years. Most of those guardrails remain on our nation’s roads today. Only Virginia’s Department of Transportation reports plans to remove ET-Plus models from its roads and highways.

Trinity Industries is currently undergoing rigorous crash tests to prove their product is indeed safe enough for roads. Those tests will be the deciding factor in keeping the ET-Plus model on – or off – our highways for good.

Seriously Injured in an Accident Involving a Guardrail?

Our Guardrail Injury Lawyers are currently investigating serious and fatal guardrail accidents related to this untested guardrail design. If you or a loved one were injured in an accident with a guardrail, contact our attorneys to discuss your legal options. We offer a free, no obligation, case evaluation – Get Help Now 877-544-5323