The Toyota Motor Corporation has been in the spotlight now for almost a year due to numerous recalls, investigations and complaints about Toyota manufactured vehicles. Toyota announced its first major recall late last year after numerous complaints were filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaining of sudden acceleration problems in Toyota manufactured vehicles. Sadly, it was not until a family of four was killed when the Lexus SUV they were driving in accelerated out of control that the recall was finally issued and national attention was drawn to the issue. That first recall covered over 4 million vehicles and was followed by two more recalls in January and February bringing the recall total to over 8 million vehicles. The United States Department of Transpiration, congressional leaders and watchdog groups launched investigations shortly after the recalls were announced to answer questions regarding when the automaker giant was aware of the defects and what they did with that knowledge.
Under United States law, a manufacturer has a legal duty to make all reasonable efforts to locate any defects in a product they manufacture and once they are aware of a defect they must notify consumers as well as the appropriate regulatory agency. The U.S. Department of Transportation recently levied a $16.4 million fine against Toyota for failing to notify regulators in a timely manner as required under the laws of the United States. The fine is the largest fine ever ordered by the USDOT. Toyota also announced that it will not challenge the fine but fell short of admitting any wrongdoing.
The recalls and defective automobiles have left millions of consumers with financial and physical damages. The number of accidents and deaths attributable to Toyota manufactured defective automobiles continues to rise. Millions more have been affected by the loss of value of their Toyota manufactured vehicles. As a result, many people are asking what kind of compensation they can expect for the losses they have suffered. The value of your Toyota recall claim depends on what type of claim you have, according to California Toyota recall attorney Emery Ledger of Ledger & Associates.
At the moment, there are two basic types of claims that have been filed against Toyota. The first type of claim is for injuries or wrongful death stemming from a collision caused by a defective Toyota manufactured vehicle while the second is for economic losses. In personal injury cases, the laws of negligence apply. Assuming that the elements required to prove negligence have been met, then you can expect to receive compensation for economic and possibly non-economic damages. Examples of economic damages include: medical bills, lost wages and damages to your vehicle. Non-economic damages are what people typically refer to as “pain and suffering”. The value of your claim will depend on a number of factors including: type and severity of injuries you received; your age and earning capacity at the time of the collision; the amount of fault attributed to Toyota; whether you file in state or federal court; and various other factors specific to your case.
The best way to determine the value of your personal injury case against Toyota is to consult with an experienced California Toyota recall attorney. Attorney Emery Ledger of Ledger & Associates will be happy to provide you with a free and confidential detailed evaluation of your Toyota personal injury case at your convenience. Feel free to contact his office at 1-800-300-0001 or visit him online at www.ledgerlaw.com
