Reversing a line of Commonwealth Court case law that dates back a decade, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has ruled that while the state has no duty to erect guardrails along its roadsides, it can be held liable for installing guardrails that are negligently and dangerously designed.

The justices unanimously reversed the Commonwealth Court’s ruling in Cagey v. Commonwealth that the state is immune from claims seeking to hold it responsible for dangerous guardrails.