Imagine that you are driving down the highway with your family in the car when you suddenly realize that you can’t slow down because the accelerator in your vehicle is stuck. Imaging frantically telephoning the police for help as your car accelerates to 120 m.p.h. while you are helpless to stop it.
This may sound like something out of a Hollywood blockbuster, but it actually happened just a few months ago in San Diego. Tragically, just after the driver made that 911 call, his vehicle hit a sport utility vehicle, launched off an embankment, rolled several times and then exploded into flames. Four family members were killed in the crash. Ironically, the vehicle didn’t even belong to the family – it was a loaner from the dealership while their car was being repaired. This is just one of the many tragic accidents that led up to Toyota recalling approximately 2.3 million vehicles. Included among the recalled vehicles are certain models and years of the RAV4, Corolla, Matrix, Avalon, Camry, Highlander, Tundra, and Sequoia. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NTHSA) received numerous complaints of vehicles rapidly accelerating after release of the accelerator pedal prior to the recall. The problem appears to be the configuration of the accelerator pedal. Additional complications come from the type of floor mats used and the fact that in vehicles with keyless ignitions, you have to hold the on-off switch for three seconds in order to shut the engine off. This combination of factors has resulted in stories like the one above. If you are the owner of one of the vehicles listed in the recall, contact your dealership immediately to prevent future accidents.
What can you do if you have already suffered injuries as a result of one of the vehicles listed in the recall? The most important thing you can do is contact a California personal injury and product liability lawyer. An experienced attorney can evaluate your case and give you advice on what to do next. If you were involved in an accident as a result of a defective product then you may have a personal injury and/or product liability claim against the manufacturer. The laws as they apply in situations like the Toyota recall are very complex and require an experienced attorney to help you navigate them properly. We trust the companies that manufacturer vehicles to use the utmost care when producing products for the public. We put our trust and confidence in the companies from which we purchase a car and they should be held to the highest standards possible. Therefore, when they produce a defective product, they should be held responsible. While a negligence claim cannot erase the nightmare of an accident, it can provide compensation for the damages suffered as a result of that accident.
If you have been the victim of an accident involving one of the vehicles listed in the recall and would like an experienced attorney to evaluate your case, contact the law offices of Ledger & Associates at 1-800-300-0001 or visit us atwww.ledgerlaw.com.
