As you may already be aware, highways tend to be one of the more dangerous types of roadways for drivers to travel on. You have motorists traveling at all different rates of speed mixed with drivers who are reckless or distracted. Needless to say, hundreds of crashes transpire on highways through the State of Tennessee each year. And while speed, the size and make of a vehicle, etc., all play a role in how serious an wreck is, there are other hazards that contribute to heightening the severity of these accidents. We are talking about the X-LITE guardrails.
Now, the intended purpose of a guardrail is to “shield a motorist who has left the roadway,” according to the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration. “Guardrails can make roads safer and lessen the severity of crashes.” But, when it comes to the X-LITE guardrail, many have found that they only make crashes much worse. In 2016, 17-year-old Hannah Eimers was driving in McMinn County when she hit a guardrail end. The guardrail ended up piercing her vehicle and she was fatally impaled. She died instantly as a result of the wreck [Source: News Channel 9].
After the fatal wreck, Eimers’ father couldn’t keep quiet as he feared another family would be left broken the same way his now is without his daughter. Eimers pushed to have the X-LITE guardrails recalled and while the manufactures of it claimed they met the standards and criteria as well as helped save many lives with these guardrails, the TN Department of Transportation (TDOT) began removing them. In fact, it was recently reported that the TDOT is now working to remove the final X-LITE guardrails that are still left on TN roadways. According to News Channel 9, there were only 36 guardrails left of which 32 were located in East Tennessee. The TDOT estimated that the cost to remove and replace the guardrails would cost about $3.4 million.
As a result of the removal of the guardrails, Eimers told WSMV “It’s a very decisive victory to see this action taken, so I’m very pleased. I know families in the State of Tennessee will never share in the horror that our family, and several other families across the nation, have experienced.” As devastating as this accident was, hopefully, this change will reduce the chances of a similar accident from ever occurring on a TN roadway again.
Now, despite the fact that the X-LITE guardrails should just about be removed from all TN roadways, it doesn’t mean other types of wrecks aren’t occurring. If you are the victim of an crash, whether it was caused by another driver or a poorly maintained roadway, don’t hesitate to contact Nashville, TN personal injury attorney George R. Fusner Jr. Whether you are looking to obtain justice and/or compensation for the injuries you have sustained, I am ready to help you get it.
You can reach the Law Office of George R. Fusner, Jr. at
7104 Peach Court
Brentwood, TN 37027
Phone- 615-251-0005
Fax- 615-370-8447
