Concerns are being raised in several states over the safety issues linked to highway guardrails. One man, a sales engineer who was just traveling through the state, was killed in Missouri when his pickup truck left the road on I-70 and rammed into the end of a guardrail. The guardrail was outfitted with a special end that was originally designed to cushion the damage caused during these types of car accidents however, according to recent reports, these types of safety ends do no seem to be working as planned.
The 59-year-old who was killed in the state is the 6th person to die from being impaled on one of Missouri’s guardrail ends. After his truck struck the rail, impaling him, the vehicle traveled another 168 feet. Several other states, including Virginia and Tennessee, are seeing the same issues with their guardrails ends. What was meant for safety is causing deaths?
Several court battles have begun because of these guardrail ends. One guardrail company was ordered to pay out $663 million in 2015 after a jury found them liable in a similar accident. Many argue that no one is actually testing these safety features and that the industry is basically in charge of keeping itself in check.
While some steps are being made to increase highway safety in Missouri, such car accidents are sadly not uncommon. Anyone who has suffered injury or lost a loved one in such a tragic way can get help from a personal injury attorney. These lawyers will fight to get their clients the compensation they need for medical bills, lost time from work, funeral costs and more.
Source: cincinnati.com, “Impaled by a guardrail: Deaths raise safety concerns“, Cameron Knight and Travis Dorman, April 16, 2017