Trinity Industries, a U.S. guardrail manufacturing company, is under scrutiny by the Justice Department regarding their relationship with the Federal Highway Administration. The current investigation follows on the heels of federal whistle-blower trial that Trinity lost last October, in which they were found guilty of defrauding the government by failing to disclose their new guardrail model, the ET-Plus.
The redesigned models date back to 2005 and have since been installed on highways nationwide. The design changes made units more likely to jam when hit head on, causing the metal rail to skewer the vehicle, endangering the lives of drivers and passengers.
In light of this initial case, the government ordered Trinity to put the ET-Plus through a series of crash tests, with the Federal Highway Administration announcing that the new model had passed eight crash tests. Some lawmakers, however, are skeptical of the ET-Plus’ performance, claiming that the crash tests were flawed.
The current investigation is being spearheaded by the Boston offices of the FBI and the Transportation Department. While states are ultimately responsible for their highway equipment and the safety of state citizens, the Federal Highway Administration plays an important role in approving products for federal reimbursement.
The Justice Department has issued a subpoena to recover documents from the October trial, and has so far interviewed five potential witnesses to testify in the case, including one former official of the Federal Highway Administration.
The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission recently reported that American home improvement and construction products retailer Home Depot is recalling around 120,000 bike hooks under the Husky Securelock brand after 22 reports of collapsing hooks, Bicycle Retailer and Industry News reported on April 15.
The defective hooks were manufactured in China for Waterloo Industries of Iowa. The complaints did not indicate that the broken hooks contributed to the occurrence of personal injury accidents, but it was evident that the broken hooks caused damage to bikes and nearby vehicles.
Waterloo Industries of Iowa has already issued a recall of around 105,000 hooks sold in the United States and 15,000 sold in Canada.
When products that are supposedly well-made and well-manufactured serve as hazards to the public because of their low quality and substandard craftsmanship, the companies that made these products may be held liable. If you want to lodge a product liability lawsuit against a company and you live in Nashville or other areas of Tennessee, obtain the legal assistance of our attorneys at Pohl & Berk, LLP, by dialing 615-277-2765 today.
A Georgia jury ruled on Thursday, April 2 that auto manufacturer Chrysler will have to pay $150 million to the family of four-year-old Remington “Remi” Walden, who died after the 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee he was riding with his aunt caught fire after a rear-end collision in March 2012.
According to court records, the Jeep’s fuel tank leaked, causing the Jeep to subsequently burst into flames.
Two years ago, Chrysler agreed to a scaled-down recall of some older-model Jeeps that have rear-mounted gas tanks, which can be left unsecured in the event of a rear-end collision, thus causing them to be susceptible to causing fires.
If you have been hurt in a personal injury accident caused by the negligence and irresponsibility of other parties in Nashville or other areas in Tennessee, seek the legal assistance of our attorneys at Pohl & Berk, LLP by calling our offices at (615) 277-2765 today.
The Paducah Police Department in Kentucky has reported that 41-year-old local Jose Posadas has lost his life on Monday, March 16 at a Nashville, Tennessee hospital after being involved in a four-vehicle accident on the Beltline Overpass.
According to preliminary investigations of police and eyewitness accounts, Posadas was heading west on the Beltline Overpass and had been weaving in and out of the centerline in his van when he collided with an oncoming Jeep Wrangler. A pickup truck then crashed into a sport utility vehicle after trying to avoid the collision between Posadas’ van and the Jeep Wrangler; the truck came to rest on top of the SUV.
Those involved were rushed to a local hospital. Posadas died in the accident. The conditions of those driving the Jeep Wrangler and the SUV have not been released. The fourth driver, who had been operating the pickup, was not harmed in the incident.
