X-LITE Guardrail Linked to Dozens of Deaths and Serious Injuries
More reports are surfacing across the nation linking X-LITE guardrail end terminals to deaths and serious injuries. Lawsuits filed against Lindsay Corporation, the manufacturer of X-LITE end terminals, allege the guardrail system has an inherent design flaw that prevents it from telescoping into itself, causing the end terminals to penetrate into vehicles and impale drivers and passengers.
Concealed Safety Defects: What You Don’t See Can Be Deadly
A defective guardrail can be more dangerous than having no guardrail at all. In one especially tragic incident, 37-year-old Sarah Weinberg was killed after she went off Interstate 66 in Tennessee and struck an X-LITE guardrail end terminal almost head on, according to her family’s attorney. She was driving home to visit her family for Christmas.
In another case, Tennessee teenager Hannah Eimers was killed after going off the road, attempting to correct course, and then slamming the driver’s side door into the guardrail end terminal. She died instantly when she was impaled by a metal rail that failed to telescope upon impact, but her passenger walked away with just a small cut.
Thousands of these guardrail systems have been installed across the country, primarily in Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Texas, Maryland, and Massachusetts.
Lindsay Corporation maintains its position that these guardrails have passed inspections but that no test could replicate all possible accident scenarios. Still, the Tennessee Department of Transportation has removed the X-LITE end terminals from its list of qualified products in the wake of mounting evidence that their alleged design flaws caused preventable injuries.
What to Do If You Were Injured by an X-LITE Guardrail End Terminal
If you were injured or lost a member of your family in an accident that involved an X-LITE guardrail end terminal, you may be entitled to compensation for all resulting damages including medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering. Unfortunately, obtaining a financial recovery may involve an uphill legal battle.
Here are a few tips to give your claim the best possible chance of success:
- Visit a doctor right away for an official diagnosis;
- Contact a guardrail injury attorney as soon as possible;
- Direct all correspondence from the insurance company or anyone affiliated with Lindsay Corporation to your lawyer;
- Follow the instructions of your healthcare provider; and
- Don’t discuss your accident or injury on social media.
Speak with an X-LITE Guardrail Injury Attorney Today
An experienced guardrail injury lawyer from the Law Offices of Richard J. Serpe, PC can review the facts of your case in a free consultation, answer your questions, and help you determine how best to proceed with your claim. You won’t have to pay any attorney’s fees unless we win.