According to the National Highway Safety & Transportation Administration (NHTSA), court records and The Los Angeles Times, 102 traffic fatalities are being attributed to Toyotas’ acceleration problem.
Toyota has recalled millions of vehicles based on – – what it terms – – as a “rare” chance that the gas pedal could stick. Toyota continues to deny that an electrical problem is causing sudden acceleration. “We are diligently going to investigate all of these claims. We are doing it with more people and we are doing it as quickly as we can. “We have found no evidence at all of any electronic problem that could have led to unintended acceleration,” said Toyota spokesman John Hanson.
Department of Transportation spokeswoman Olivia Alair said NHTSA officials review all complaints and “take reports of injuries and deaths extremely seriously.”
“Right now, the agency is working to get to the bottom of the unintended acceleration issue by undertaking a new review of possible causes, including potential electromagnetic interference,” Alair said.
The complaints on file are simply allegations that defects may have caused the cars to suddenly accelerate before fatal crashes. Public concern about sudden acceleration was triggered by an incident last year that killed veteran California Highway Patrol Officer Mark Saylor and three of his relatives near San Diego.
The family was in a 2009 Lexus ES 350 that had been lent to them by a dealership when the car accelerated out of control and crashed. Saylor’s frantic efforts to stop the car were captured in a 911 emergency call made by his brother-in-law, Chris Lastrella, a passenger in the car. The Lexus ES 350 was one of several models later recalled by Toyota to replace floor mats that could cause the gas pedals to stick.
Click here to read the entire story from the LA Times.
It will be interesting to see where these injury cases lead and what the plaintiff experts will say during litigation.
If you or someone you know has been involved in a Chicago car accident or Chicago truck accident, then call attorney Aaron Bryant for a free consultation at 312-588-3384.