Wisconsin has joined Virginia, Vermont, Washington and thirty other states in suspending or banning the use of a controversial highway safety product. The ET-Plus guardrail end terminal, designed and created by Trinity Industries, is the subject of much scrutiny recently. A Texas judge found Trinity Industries guilty of defrauding the federal government. Their 2005 product redesign went unreported to federal regulators. Experts say this design change, a difference of just one inch of metal, could be the difference between a safe product and a dangerous one.
Fox6now.com reports that internal emails from Trinity Industries engineers argued for the design change, as it would use less material and “save them a few bucks.” That savings has gone on to cause deadly crashes, many of which should have ended injury free, had the guardrail head done its job properly.
Guardrail heads should work to slow colliding vehicles to a safe stop by forcing the sides of the guardrail to safely peel away from the cars. Instead, the ET-Plus has pierced vehicles head on, often slicing through cabins of vehicles and injuring passengers. Some have even reported amputations resulting from the malfunction.
As more and more states join together in suspending or banning the use of the ET-Plus, only Virginia has taken steps to remove the guardrail end terminals currently on the roads. In the meantime, over 600,000 of them remain on our nation’s highways. Until a formal recall is put into place, it is likely that more accidents will continue to be made more dangerous by these guardrail end terminals.
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