Manufacturers of products—especially those designed to improve safety—are required to ensure their items don’t present a serious danger to members of the public. Any failure to do so could result in a product being deemed faulty, which could result in costly legal action.
Take the Virginia defective product lawsuit the commonwealth recently filed against Trinity Industries in regards to defective guardrails the company sold. Virginia is one of several states to file such legal action and is among 42 other states and the District of Columbia who have stopped using the guardrails.
According to an article from Bloomberg, the suit claims Trinity failed to inform the state of changes made to the design of the product after the company submitted specifications for the units. The lawsuit alleges that certain parts of the guardrails were shortened, which caused them to fail when struck by vehicles. Instead of properly crumpling and acting as a safety barrier, the lawsuit states that the guardrails impaled vehicles, causing serious injuries to some vehicle occupants.
The suit calls for Trinity to pay to replace the faulty guardrail units. Trinity has stated they are “disappointed” in the move and continue to deny any wrongdoing.
This case could take years to be settled. In the meantime, drivers wonder if they are at risk of being harmed by defective safety equipment. The Norfolk personal injury attorneys with Lowell Stanley Injury Lawyers encourage you to speak with a legal representative if you were injured by a guardrail in a car accident. We can be reached to discuss your case by calling (757) 459-CASH today.
