Did Toyota Have A Reasonable Safety Alternative To Prevent Unattended Acceleration? – Pennsylvania Product Liability Lawyer Weighs In
While many experts and vehicle defect attorneys have focused on potential flaws in the electronic throttle control systems on Toyotas leading to sudden acceleration, there have been many concerns surrounding this issue as well as difficulty proving the existence of electronic defects. Sources indicate that Toyota settled at least one sudden acceleration case so far for $10 million to the families of four people killed when a Lexus ES accelerated out of control in California in 2009. While many other auto manufacturers including Nissan, Volkswagen, BMW, and Chrysler have been using brake override systems for years, Toyota has been lagging behind, and in fact, NHTSA investigators approached Toyota regarding the possibility of installing brake override systems as early as August 2007. The following year Toyota ordered a feasibility study of the technology. Recently a United States Federal Judge handling most of the federal cases against Toyota denied efforts by Toyota to dismiss many of the allegations against it and particularly noted “the absence of a brake override system." Toyota has agreed to pay almost $50 million in fines for failing to properly notify regulators of defects and for delaying recalls.
It seems to this experienced auto defect and product lawyer that Toyota maintains a clear pattern of ignoring or downplaying important safety issues. Safety should never be an option and public accountability and safety should take precedence over profitability.
The experienced vehicle product liability law firm of Reiff & Bily has been taking on the big automakers, representing individuals who have sustained catastrophic injuries and wrongful deaths due to automotive product defects. We are currently involved with a number of Toyota sudden acceleration claims.
