Trinity Industries Sued by Virginia

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Virginia’s attorney general has filed a complaint against Trinity Industries, a guardrail manufacturer who was recently found to be defrauding the government. Unauthorized changes were made to a safety device, the ET-Plus guardrail end terminal. Experts now believe those changes are the cause of the product’s malfunctions.

Virginia has become the first state to join in on the whistle-blowing lawsuits against Trinity Industries. Over thirty states have temporarily banned the installation of the ET-Plus, but few have begun actually removing them from their roads and highways. NYTimes.com reports that with Virginia taking the lead, other states will likely follow in pursuit of their own lawsuits against Trinity Industries.

If crash tests reveal the company did indeed sell Virginia defective products, the state is seeking civil penalties and recovery of costs associated with the guardrail heads. There are thousands of these guardrail end caps along Virginia’s roads, and the removal and the lengthy replacement process will likely be expensive.

The ET-Plus is designed to collapse under the force of a colliding vehicle, absorbing the impact by folding backward like an accordion. Instead, the guardrail end terminal has acted as spear, piercing the vehicles and injuring passengers. Some have even lost limbs in accidents involving the ET-Plus.

Federally ordered crash tests are currently being conducted and results will be made public next month. Virginia officials were present for the testing, but were not allowed to inspect the ET-Plus before the crash. The units being tested are from Trinity’s inventory, not devices used on public roads.

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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