Guardrails are supposed to keep us safer in the event of a car accident, but for some Tennessee families, a faulty guardrail design had the opposite effect. Steve Eimers, a father who lost his 17-year-old daughter, has made it his mission to eradicate these guardrails across the entire nation.
Eimers told ABC News Channel 9:
“My daughter was traveling in McMinn County, Tenn. and she hit a guard rail end. That guard rail end pierced her car and she was fatally impaled, killed instantly.”
The guardrail in question is the X-LITE guardrail made by Lindsay Transportation Solutions (LTS). Since the performance of the X-LITE guardrails has been less than satisfactory with at least three different car accidents in Tennessee alone, the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) is working to replace them around the state by June 2018.
LTS maintains the X-LITE guardrails have been proven to be safe with crash tests that are in line with federal regulations. The company says they cannot prevent every potential fatality because so many factors come into play during a car accident — speed of the car, number of cars involved, angle of impact, and more.
Eimers, however, begs to differ.
He and three of the other Tennessee families who have lost loved ones due to these guardrails have now filed lawsuits against the company.
Car accidents aren’t always what they appear. If you or a loved one has been hurt or killed in an accident involving a guardrail, call the experienced Tennessee car accident attorneys at Gilreath & Associates. We’ll help you navigate through the legal process and get you and your family the compensation you deserve.