Trinity Industries has come under fire for alleged defects in its ET-Plus guardrail model. In November 2014, the Federal Highway Administration released details for a plan to crash test the ET-Plus guardrail end terminal, which 39 states have stopped installing on their highways in the wake of what has been alleged as a cover-up of a dangerous alteration in the design of the guardrail in 2005. In October, 2014, a jury returned a $175 million verdict against Trinity by the federal government, an amount which could triple to $525 million under provisions of the federal False Claims Act.
The Attorney Group for Texas is currently investigating claims of injury or death involving the ET-Plus guardrail. We are currently offering free case evaluations to those who believe they may be eligible to file a Texas Trinity guardrail lawsuit. Contact us today for more information. There are no out-of-pocket expenses for our consultation.
ET-Plus Linked to Increased Risk
of Injury, Death to Motorists
The death of a 24-year-old man from San Francisco, California in November 2014 has been linked to a Trinity ET-plus guardrail that allegedly failed to absorb the impact of his car when he drove into the rail head-first. While the ET-Plus is designed to be a “safety feature” intended to help guide the vehicle to a controlled stop, the shortened endcap can allegedly jam, preventing the guardrail from being able to fold against the force of the car. In these cases, the guardrail remains locked, and it can function much like a bayonet that can penetrate the vehicle and its occupants.
Due to the increasing number of reports of injury and death throughout the country linked to the ET-Plus guardrail, Virginia is already making plans to completely remove the guardrails from its roads. According to reports, the modified guardrail can become jammed if an oncoming car strikes it. Rather than spiraling out and absorbing the impact as intended, the guardrails can lock up and spear straight through the cars, placing occupants at risk of injury, severed limbs, traumatic brain injuries, and death.
In September 2014, researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham published an article suggesting that the ET-Plus is 36 percent more likely to cause a severe injury and three times as likely to cause death compared to Trinity’s older model, the ET-2000. Researchers drew their conclusions based on eight years of crash data from Missouri and Ohio, and they compared five separate guardrail end-terminal models.
At least to the guardrails. Several reported injuries include wounds that require amputation, neck and spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injury, impalement resulting in organ damage and fatal bleeding, and a loss of limbs or extremities. Persons injured in an accident involving the ET-Plus guardrail should consider working with an attorney to file a Texas Trinity guardrail lawsuit. Thirty-nine states have banned the guardrails, and other states are considering similar bans.
Need Information on a Texas Trinity Guardrail Lawsuit? We Can Help You
Contact Attorney Group for Texas for more information about filing a Texas Trinity guardrail lawsuit if you feel that you have a case. Our consultations are free and without obligation. If you have a case, we can connect you with an affiliated attorney who can help you file your Texas Trinity guardrail lawsuit. Contact us to learn more.
