Man rendered quadriplegic after Toyota accident
The fatalities and injuries attributable to vehicles that have recently been recalled by Toyota continue to mount. On March 1, 2007, Chin Lin as driving his 2005 Toyota Camry on Interstate 5 in California on the way to an interview at the University of Pacific for his daughter. His wife, Pei-Yen Cheng and his daughter Jessica Lin were in the car with his that fateful day. All three occupants were wearing seatbelts. As the family was traveling down the highway, the vehicle began to pull to the left a little, so Mr. Lin attempted to correct it by steering back to the right. At that point, the vehicle shot across the right lane of traffic gaining speed as it went. Mr. Lin tried, but failed, to use the brakes to stop the car. The car went over the shoulder, became airborne off the side of the highway and began rolling down the embankment. It eventually came to a stop upside down at the bottom of the hill.
As a result of the accident, Jessica Lin suffered back injuries and other minor injuries. Pei Yen Cheng suffered head trauma, fractured ribs and other injuries. Worst of all, Mr. Lin suffered fractured vertebrae in his cervical spine which left him a quadriplegic. As a result, Mr. Lin now requires round the clock care and will never be able to work again. Before this tragic accident, Mr. Lin was a mechanical engineer and was in a management position where he supervised other engineers in the design and manufacturing of propulsion systems for cargo ships. Mr. Lin’s 2005 Toyota Camry is not, at present, on the list of recalled vehicles. Nevertheless, the Lin’s have filed a lawsuit in the Los Angeles County Superior Court and have alleged, among other things, that Toyota has known for years that these “sudden acceleration” problems existed yet did not do anything to fix them or prevent them. The Lins are not alone in questioning when Toyota became aware of the problems.
Congressional leaders, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and many watchdog groups have been asking the same question lately. Probes into Toyota’s internal records have begun in the nation’s capital in an attempt to determine just when Toyota knew about the defects. A search of the NHTSA database shows that complaints about sudden acceleration have been steadily pouring in for years. Additional questions abound as to whether all the vehicles that should be covered in the recalls are actually included. Vehicles that were manufactured before the recalled vehicles appear to be the subject of similar complaints and accidents. Complaints about sudden acceleration on Toyota manufactured vehicles go back for ten years or more in some cases. It appears as though the recent recalls of over 8 million vehicles may actually just be the tip of the iceberg.
If you believe that you have been involved in an accident with a defective vehicle, consult an experienced California product liability and personal injury attorney for more information. The law firm of Ledger & Associates has been handling product liability and personal injury lawsuits for over a decade and their attorneys are available to discuss your situation with you at 1-800-300-0001 or online at www.ledgerlaw.com.
