After an extensive investigation by the United States government and its regulatory agencies, the government ordered the Toyota to pay a record $16.4 million fine for failing to disclose the gas pedal problems in a timely manner as required under the rules and regulations of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The fine is the largest fine of its kind ever ordered against an automaker by the NHTSA and the maximum allowed under United States law. This week, Toyota announced that it plans to pay the fine and will not appeal the order. The news has many consumers asking whether Toyota’s acquiescence is an admission of guilt on their part.
According to California attorney Emery Ledger of Ledger & Associates, Toyota’s announcement that it will not dispute the fine is not the same as an admission of guilt on the part of the giant automaker. Toyota has specifically stated they deny any wrongdoing but will pay the fine to prevent a long battle with the Department of Justice. The fine was leveled by a regulating body – the NHTSA. The NHTSA is an arm of the United States Department of Transportation and is responsible for conducting a large amount of research and education regarding consumer product safety. The NHTSA also logs and investigates complaints from consumers about products. Complaints, and subsequent investigations, by the NHTSA frequently lead to product recalls – either voluntary or involuntary. In this case, the huge number of complaints about unintended acceleration problems contributed to the Toyota ultimately recalling over 8 million vehicles. In the case of the Toyota recalls, however, the problem did not stop with the recalls. Government officials began to question when Toyota was aware of the problems and if they acted in a timely manner to recall and fix the problems. The Department of Transportation’s investigation concluded that they did not act in a timely manner – hence the fine. When a fine is ordered, the manufacturer may choose to accept the fine and pay it, or they may appeal the fine and not pay it until the appeal process has run its course.
Toyota’s decision not to appeal the fine ordered by the U.S. Department of Transportation, however, is not an admission of guilt on their part. It may appear that way to many consumers, but legally speaking it is not an admission for the purposes of a consumer lawsuit against the manufacturer. Consumers that have suffered damages as a result of an accident involving a Toyota manufactured vehicle may file a personal injury lawsuit against the manufacturer. A lawsuit for personal injury damages however is based on the laws of negligence and is completely separate from any issues regarding whether or not Toyota violated the rules of the U.S. Department of Transportation. It may be that evidence uncovered in the government’s investigation of the Toyota recalls may be helpful in a personal injury lawsuit, but Toyota’s agreement to pay the fine is not an admission of guilt to be used in a personal injury lawsuit.
For many consumers that have been injured as a result of Toyota manufactured vehicles, the news of the fine may have provided hope that they may be able to recover compensation for their injuries as well. If you are one of those consumers and would like additional information or a further explanation of the legal remedies available to you, please contact California personal injury attorney Emery Ledger at his firm – Ledger & Associates, 1-800-300-0001 or online at www.ledgerlaw.com
