TOYOTA CRASH REPORT: ACCELERATION DEFECT
From our Philadelphia Car Accident Attorney department: Despite the assertion by Toyota that a driver of its Prius had filed false reports with the state police, the reports continue to come in from individuals who would not likely crash their cars just to bring a personal injury claim.
One such report involved an elderly couple, a husband and wife, who suffered injuries in a crash related to sudden acceleration and have filed a lawsuit against a Pennsylvania Toyota dealership. The suit, one of many filed throughout the country, contends that, even after their Toyota Camry was taken to the dealership upon receiving notification of a recall, their vehicle was not fixed and subsequently became involved in what, if not for a miracle, would have been a fatal accident. The reports indicated that they were stopped at a red light on the road before the incident occurred. Upon letting go of the brake, when the light turned green, the couple’s Toyota Camry suddenly accelerated. Attempts at pressing down on the brakes proved useless as the vehicle sped up, only coming to a rest after smashing into the rear of a Lexus (a vehicle also produced by Toyota and also subject to claims of sudden acceleration, which were originally defended by Toyota claiming that the floor mats were the cause). Mr & Mrs. K were transported to area hospitals by responding emergency medical services (EMS) crews, so they could be treated for the injuries. Husband was reportedly released from the hospital after suffering a head laceration, which needed up to 20 staples to be closed. His wife suffered a fractured ankle and badly sprained wrist in the incident.
A Toyota spokesperson reported that repairmen reinforced the vehicle's gas pedal and secured the floor mats in early March, noting: “All repairs are performed per the specifications and requirements of the vehicle manufacturer… Customer safety continues to be the number one priority at Toyota.”
However it is clear, “The fix is not a fix”.
We have researched the problems internally so that we can provide expert and competent representation of crash victims who have found themselves at the mercy of a runaway vehicle. One of our Philadelphia defective vehicle product liability engineering experts, Sherman McCloud, a former professor at Drexel University, has provided us with his thoughts that the problem is likely due to an electrical modular interaction defect.
This kind of litigation is just an illustration of the type of complex automobile, truck and motorcycle accident cases PP&L has handled for over three decades. Many of our results appear on our webpage and in specialized Blogs we periodically post on our successful results for our many satisfied clients. Visit us on the web and, if you have a case, fill out our online client inquiry form or call one of our experienced injury trial attorneys at 610-664-3222.
