A federal government investigation into sudden and unintended acceleration issues in Toyota vehicles has concluded that there is no apparent link between electronic throttles and sudden acceleration. According to a Reuters news report, this conclusion from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is the culmination of a 10-month investigation ordered by the U.S. Congress. The Japanese auto maker recalled more than 8 million vehicles in the United States due to sticky gas pedals and faulty floor mats.
Probe Clears Software-Driven Throttles
The NHTSA investigation was opened after members of the Congress questioned whether the sudden acceleration was caused by the software-driven throttles in Toyota vehicles. U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced recently that there is “no electronic-based cause for unintended high-speed acceleration in Toyotas.” This is being viewed by many as a “victory” for Toyota and a major hurdle cleared. However, regulators say they will consider imposing requirements for all vehicles to have braking systems that would automatically counteract any instances of sudden acceleration.
Sudden Acceleration Caused Injuries and Fatalities
Toyota has consistently maintained that the electronic throttle systems in its vehicles are safe and that they are not linked to the sudden acceleration issues. Now, NHTSA and NASA engineers have concluded that the only causes of the sudden acceleration problems in Toyotas were the sticking gas pedals and faulty floor mats that could cause the pedals to jam. The auto maker suffered a major PR crisis last year due to the recalls. Toyota also paid out nearly $50 million in fines linked to recalls and to settle allegations that it failed to recall the defective vehicles in a timely manner. So far, 89 deaths and thousands of injuries have been linked to sudden or unintended acceleration in Toyota and Lexus vehicles.
Auto Maker Must Be Held Accountable
This finding, in my opinion, does not give Toyota a free pass on all those cases where people were seriously injured or killed due to sudden acceleration issues. This finding still states that the defective gas pedals and floor mats in popular Toyota models were responsible for causing sudden acceleration, which resulted in catastrophic car accidents. Our firm is representing a number of victims who were either injured or lost loved ones in sudden acceleration-related car accidents.
This finding changes nothing for these people who are awaiting a just settlement. Also, this report does not change the fact that Toyota hid the defects for years. The company paid millions in unprecedented government fines for dragging their feet on recalls, which could have saved lives. If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of Toyota sudden acceleration, please contact an experienced auto products liability lawyer to obtain more information about pursuing your legal rights.
Seriously injured due to a Toyota product defect? Want to know if you have a case? Want to know what your case is worth? Want compensation for your injuries? Want justice? Want to make sure the same thing doesn’t happen to someone else?
Call your best friends in the legal industry after a defective product-related injury accident. Call 800-849-4905. The call is free. The advice may be priceless.
Call a BISNAR | CHASE auto products liability lawyer for a free professional evaluation of your case by attorneys who have represented over 6,000 clients since 1978. You will experience award winning representation and outstanding personal service by a friendly law firm in a comfortable environment.
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The above blog post was written by guest bloggers from Bisnar Chase in California. We at Shulman DuBois LLC hope you find it useful.
