Guardrails are safety devices designed to protect drivers and passengers in cars that lose control. However, a recent study by the University of Alabama shows that a newly designed end terminal, or guardrail head, places motorists at higher risk of severe injury or death.
Modifications to the guardrails, which reduced one piece from 5 inches to 4 inches, allegedly cause roadside hazards, according to the SafetyInstitute.Org, an organization that studies field performance of items on highways.
These modified guardrails, called Trinity Guardrails, are supposed to absorb energy from a crash and allow a vehicle to “ride down” the Guardrail without the guardrail piercing the motor vehicle.
It’s alleged that Trinity altered the end terminal designs without informing state or federal regulators. The alteration decreased the weight of the end terminal by 8 lbs and otherwise changed the specs of the original design.
The newly designed guardrails are 1.5 to 3.95 times more likely to be involved in a serious injury or fatality than the original guardrail.
If the Guardrail pierces a vehicle, the case should be looked at by an experienced attorney and a bio-mechanical expert.
If you were seriously injured or a family member was killed by a guardrail piercing the vehicle, please consult an experienced personal injury attorney immediately.
Ed Smith is a Sacramento Auto Products Liability Lawyer who can help guardrail severe injury or death cases. Our website, www.AutoAccident.com, is a leading National Website on all
kinds of Auto and Motor Vehicle Accidents. Feel free to call anytime at 916-921-6400 or 800-404-5400. Check out our Ratings on Yelp or on Avvo.