There are cases where a car continues to run forward, even when the driver has the intention to stop the vehicle. This is the case in a true story that I recently heard from someone I know as a dear friend. He tells the sad story of his relative who had an accident with a stuck pedal. One night, when the husband was pulling into the garage, his wife walked in front of the car to put away garbage in the trash can. At that exact moment, the gas pedal became stuck to the bottom of the mat, and the gentleman accidentally crushed his wife. She was pinned between the car bumper, garbage cans and rear wall of the garage. The wife had some serious injuries but she survived the accident. The stuck gas pedal was at fault for this loss, and it is not an unusual story.
Nationally this week, we heard that the Toyota car manufacturer has voluntarily recalled millions of its brand cars because of similar problems with a gas pedal sticking under a floor mat. This action by Toyota is incredible. This is because it has also warned its automobile dealers that they are not permitted to sell to its customers, any of the cars listed on a special list. This is a dangerous problem that Toyota is forced to now scramble and find solutions as quickly as possible.
Many of us remember reading something over the summer months that there were claims of problems with the gas pedals sticking under the mats with certain Toyota model cars. This was around the same time as the stimulus was encouraging people to buy new cars. In the case of certain Toyota models, the cars would lurch forward if engaged in gear, because the pedals would stay down, as opposed to allowing the car to stop moving forward at the discretion of the driver.
Cars that are idling can be just as dangerous, as cars that have known problems lurching forward or that have sticking gas pedals. If a car is idling in traffic, and a pedestrian walks in front of the car, the driver could be distracted and begin to roll forward to catch up to traffic. This action could hit and injure the pedestrian who is walking in front of the car causing an accident. If a car is left idling and the driver decides to run into a store to complete an errand, there is the chance that the car can pop out of gear and lurch or move forward on its own. It could injure others walking around the car, especially in front of the car, and an accident or loss could occur in that case as well.
If you find that you have been in an accident with a car and the driver was not in the car at the time of the loss, or if you have been injured because of a stuck gas pedal, you will want to call us at the law offices of Ledger & Associates at 1-800-300-0001 or email us at www.ledgerlaw.com. We are experienced and can discuss your claim with you to determine your options.
