Amidst the recent 3.8 million vehicle recall by Toyota and a conflicting statement by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, there is a new development in regards to the “unintended acceleration” problem which involves over 2,000 documented cases experienced by Toyota and Lexus drivers since 2000.
As of Thursday, November 5th a Redlands California-based law firm has filed a class-action lawsuit against Toyota Motor Corp. on behalf of two Los Angeles County residents which have each experienced multiple cases of unintended acceleration. The class-action suit is intended for Toyota and Lexus owners who were involved in automotive accidents as a result of unexplained sudden acceleration.
The issue surrounding the unintended acceleration of Toyota and Lexus vehicles was launched into the national media after a tragic accident in Santee, California on August 28th. The accident involving a Lexus loaner vehicle took the lives of four family members – including an off-duty California Highway Patrol officer after the vehicle accelerated to over 100 mph and would not slow down.
After the story gained significant media attention, Toyota released its largest ever recall of 3.8 million vehicles, which outlined the need to remove and eventually replace the floor mats which were believed to have been causing the unintended acceleration by pinning the accelerator to the floor.
In a statement from the law firm filing the class-action lawsuit, attorney David Wright said, “Neither driver error nor floor mats can explain away many other frightening instances of runaway Toyotas.” Wright also said, “Until the company [Toyota] acknowledges the real problem and fixes it, we worry that other preventable injuries and deaths will occur.”
