Trinity Guardrail Failures

Product Liability Lawyers in Dallas, TX

In October 2014, an Eastern District of Texas jury found Trinity Industries responsible for defrauding the federal government by withholding vital information about one of its products. This product—the ET Plus guardrail—was defective and poorly designed, and may have been a contributing factor in injuries and deaths nationwide. The result was the largest private whistleblower award in history: a $175 million verdict that ballooned to $525 million.

Understanding the Damage Caused by the ET Plus Guardrail

So, why the massive verdict? The product was originally designed to meet safety standards. The guardrail was approved in certified testing facilities across the country. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) approved the product in 2000. Though the product they designed was fine, the product they eventually manufactured was not.

Allegedly, Trinity redesigned the product in 2005. This time, the corporation did not follow safety guidelines. To save money, a five-inch component of the guardrail was shortened to four inches. This may have saved money, but it had an extremely negative effect in terms of driver safety. One inch of metal eventually caused a great deal of suffering.

Just a few of the terrible results of this defect include:

• A 24 year-old man in San Francisco, California was killed in a head-on collision; the guardrail failed to absorb the impact of his car, subjecting his body to severe force.
• According to a 2013 lawsuit, a Virginia car was impaled by an ET Plus guardrail and overturned. The driver and her child were severely injured due to the guardrail.
• Jay Taylor, in 2014, fell asleep behind the wheel in North Carolina. His car slammed into an ET Plus guardrail, and Taylor had to have both his legs amputated.

If you were hurt in an accident involving a guardrail, you deserve to know your legal options. Schedule a free case review today so that our firm can assess your situation and provide the guidance you need during this time.

Contact Aldous \ Walker at (214) 307-6307 to meet with our Dallas trial attorneys.