In Spite of Scrutiny, Dangerous Guardrails Remain on Roads

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The ET-Plus guardrail has been under the lens of public scrutiny for months. Trinity Industries, the manufacturer of the guardrail, was found to have defrauded the federal government and fined by a Texas court. Hundreds of allegations against the company arose, with many claiming their car accidents were made worse by the ET-Plus malfunctioning.

Ideally, guardrail end terminals work to make car crashes safer. They’re designed to bend backwards – think of a bendy straw, flexible and compact – to bring vehicles to a safe stop along roads and highways. Instead, the ET-Plus has been known to spear cars, piercing the front and crashing through the foot wells below steering wheels. Tragically, this has resulted in deaths among some, amputated limbs among others. These malfunctions have serious ramifications for the safety industry.

Though the Federal Highway Administration has ordered a series of crash tests to better understand how these ET-Plus guardrails might be malfunctioning, the models are still found on the roads in 49 states. Only Virginia has begun plans to remove the ET-Plus from their streets, though actual removal has not yet started. Installation of the guardrail has been banned in more than 30 states, pending the results of the crash tests.

These guardrails are meant to protect those in dangerous crash situations, not make them worse. For an intended safety product, this design is simply not up to par. Until the thousands of ET-Plus guardrails are removed from the highways nationwide, however, people will likely continue to be injured – or worse – in accidents involving them.

Seriously Injured in an Accident Involving a Guardrail?

Our Guardrail Injury Lawyers are currently investigating serious and fatal guardrail accidents related to this potentially dangerous 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