Car Accidents and Guardrails Can Be a Dangerous Combination
Guardrails are installed along roads and highways with the intent to protect drivers and passengers but sometimes they can make accidents worse, causing more serious injuries than if there was no guardrail to begin with. A car accident lawyer can help recover compensation for injuries and other damages caused by guardrail accidents.
Attorneys Sean M. Burke and Jason N. Argos represent parties involved in car accidents with guardrails in Irvine, CA, and surrounding areas. If you have been injured in a car accident involving a guardrail, contact our attorneys to learn more about your options for recovering compensation for your injuries.
The Dangers of Guardrails in Car Accidents
Guardrails are often found along highways and on some roads to act as a safety barrier. They’re intended to provide drivers some protection from going off a road as well as slowing a car and absorbing some of the impact of the crash.
Unfortunately, guardrails don’t always reduce the damage of an accident but can instead make things worse. Guardrails sometimes come apart under the force of a car accident. When this happens, the broken metal pieces of a guardrail may pierce through a vehicle, potentially severing limbs, leading to permanent life changing injuries.
Another possible danger of crashing into a guardrail is when a driver collides with the end of a guardrail and not the side. In some cases, a head-on collision with the end of a guardrail can result in the guardrail impaling the vehicle, potentially causing serious injuries or fatalities to the driver or passengers.
Common Injuries in Guardrail Accidents
Car accidents involving guardrails can result in a wide range of injuries. For some, injuries may be minor while others may suffer from more serious or catastrophic injuries with lifelong repercussions. Some possible injuries include:
- Lacerations
- Broken bones
- Internal bleeding
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Paralysis
- Loss of limbs
Seeking Damages for Guardrail Accidents
When an accident was made worse by a guardrail that didn’t function properly, there may be grounds for a defective guardrail case. If so, it may be possible to recover damages from such entities as the guardrail manufacturer, designer, or distributor.
Depending on the circumstances of the guardrail accident, local, state, or even the federal government may be held liable for injuries and other damages sustained in an accident with a defective guardrail.
By filing a guardrail accident, it may be possible for our Irvine clients to recover such damages as:
- Medical expenses
- Physical therapy costs
- Lost wages
- Loss of potential future wages
- Emotional damages
- Loss of consortium in the event of death
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
Schedule a Consultation with Burke Argos Trial Attorneys
If you have been injured in a car accident involving a guardrail, it’s important to speak with an attorney to determine whether you should pursue recovering damages through a lawsuit. Irvine attorneys Sean Burke and Jason Argos are standing by to review the details of your case. To schedule a consultation please call (949) 644-3434.
