Personal Injury Law

Pressure on Toyota mounts as DOT issues statement

By Ryan Bradley, Esq.

Ray LaHood, the Department of Transportation Secretary, has issued a statement saying that drivers who own one of the recalled Toyota models should bring their cars back to their local Toyota dealers to have the cars fixed as soon as possible, according to a CNN report.

Some earlier reports had quoted LaHood as more sternly warning Toyota owners to stop driving the vehicles at all. LaHood later said this was a misstatement, according to the report.

Either way, the pressure on the car manufacturer has ramped up considerably over the last couple weeks over concerns that a dangerous vehicle defect in several of their models could lead to a serious car accident. Numerous reports have come in describing the accelerator pedal in some Toyota sticking and causing the cars to speed uncontrollably.

Toyota initially blamed the problem on improperly installed floor mats, but has since issued several more statements that indicate the problem may have to do with the actual pedal mechanism wearing down. Millions of cars have been listed in the recall and you should consult your dealer to see if your model is one of them.

The problem garnered national attention after a fatal car accident in California, but some are reporting that hundreds of rapid acceleration accidents have occurred with Toyota vehicles over the last decade. A report by Safety Research and Strategies Inc., which used data compiled by the National Highway Traffic Association among other agencies, says that as many as 815 crashes since 1999 may be linked to some sort of uncontrollable acceleration in a Toyota vehicle. 19 people died in those crashes and more than 300 were injured.

Toyota, or any other vehicle manufacturer for that matter, needs to be held accountable if a dangerous defect exists which could end up costing lives, especially if the defect is something the company has known about for some time. Toyota owners need to be diligent and look for signs that their accelerator pedal is sticking or returning slowly after being pressed. Contact your dealer and ask what they can do to fix your vehicle and don?t get behind the wheel if you feel unsafe at all.

If you have been injured by a vehicle defect in a Toyota or any other car, contact a personal injury attorney as soon as possible. Product liability cases need to be well documented and handled very quickly so don?t delay in having your case examined.

Full post as published by Missouri Accident Lawyer Blog on February 03, 2010 (boomark / email).