EV Guardrail Accidents

Why are EVs Going Through Guardrails?

Research from various safety groups, including the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), has indicated that electric vehicles may be more likely than gas-powered vehicles to break through or slip under standard steel guardrails used along most highways. Why? The problem lies with the weight of EVs, which tend to be thousands of pounds heavier than similarly sized gas-powered vehicles.

The battery bank in an electric vehicle weighs around 1,000 pounds on the smaller end of models. Larger EVs like the GMC Hummer EV can have a battery bank that weighs nearly 3,000 pounds, which is more than the entire gross weight of many gas-powered sedans. In comparison, a full tank of gas for most vehicles will weigh anywhere between 60 and 120 pounds based on the tank size.

With so much weight behind the average EV, the force of an impact in a crash is increased greatly. Most modern guardrails were designed to stop, slow, or redirect vehicles weighing less than 5,000 pounds, so these rail systems simply cannot stand up to the force of an out-of-control EV. 

Who Could Be Liable for EV Guardrail Accidents?

Liability in an EV guardrail accident will be unique to each case. An investigation will need to be conducted into each crash to determine what went wrong and why. At Hilliard Law, our trial attorneys can draw upon our decades of collective practice experience, vast resources, and long-standing reputation with third-party experts to investigate any case and pinpoint liability.

In your EV guardrail accident claim, a likely defendant could be:

• EV manufacturers: Ever since early prototypes of electric vehicles were first conceived, worries about the overall weight of these vehicles have been present. For even longer, it has been understood that the risk of a fatality in a crash increases significantly as the gross weight of the vehicle increases. Also, it has been known that most guardrails cannot withstand impacts from vehicles weighing more than 5,000 pounds. Despite this knowledge, EV manufacturers have continued to design their vehicles to weigh more than 5,000 pounds with no apparent goal to reduce vehicle weight in future models. Such design choices could be seen as a vehicle defect that would make the automaker liable for any related crashes.
• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA): In the ‘90s, the U.S. Department of Transportation and its National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began a project to redesign the nation’s guardrail systems following a surge in the popularity of heavier vehicles, including SUVs and pickups. However, as EV popularity surges similarly today, the government agencies seem to have no plan to improve guardrails in response. Any delay in an effort to save lives by improving guardrails nationwide could be seen as negligence on behalf of the NHTSA and other related transportation safety authorities.

We’re Up for Any Challenge – Call Now

Hilliard Law and our Texas trial attorneys are known for taking the most challenging cases and finding solutions that benefit our clients. If you need to file a claim against a powerful defendant like an EV manufacturer or even the federal government itself after an EV guardrail accident, you’ll want us on your side. Learn about filing an injury claim, how much compensation could be owed to you, and more by reaching out today. Please act quickly – if your claim needs to name the government as a defendant, you could have only weeks or months to get started. 

Dial (361) 882-1612 to request a FREE consultation with our Texas EV accident lawyers.