Why did it take so long for Toyota to announce the recalls?
While everyone that owns one of the vehicles involved in the three Toyota recalls is undoubtedly grateful that the safety issues have finally been acknowledged and repairs are underway, many people are also asking why it took so long.
Toyota’s first recall was announced in October and covered almost 4 million vehicles. This recall has come to be called the “accelerator pedal entrapment” recall. In those vehicles, the accelerator pedal configuration appears to have been faulty and was getting stuck on the floor mats. Last month, Toyota announced a recall of another 2.3 million vehicles for yet another accelerator pedal problem. This time, the problem seems to be internal to the pedal itself. The pedal itself can be harder to depress, slower to return to the closed position or get stuck in a partially depressed position. Recall number three came just this week and is expected to impact about half a million more vehicles worldwide. The latest recall appears to be for a problem with the anti-lock brake system.
Serious questions begin to arise, however, with a simple check of the complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints involving accidents where the accelerator pedal was to blame for unexpected acceleration go back as far as five years. For example, in August of 2006, one complaint states that their 2006 Prius accelerated to 90 m.p.h., careened through a small town, then a forest, flipped three times and eventually came to a halt in a river. The state police investigator determined that the accelerator pedal was to blame for the accident. Yet another complainant filed a complaint in January of 2008 stating that his 2006 Toyota Tacoma accelerated unexpectedly when he tried to stop at a red light causing him to hit the truck in front of him. Had he not crashed into the truck, he would have found himself barreling into an intersection at a red light and the damage could have been worse. Sadly, these stories are just two examples of many complaints filed regarding unexpected acceleration of Toyota vehicles.
As the inquires into the recalled vehicles continue, we can only hope that we will eventually have the answer to the question why it took so long to recall these vehicles and repair the problems. In the meantime, if you have been involved in an accident – either as the driver of a recalled vehicle or because you collided with a recalled vehicle – it may be in your best interest to contact an experienced California personal injury and product liability attorney. Regardless of how long it took Toyota to announce a recall if they are wholly or partially responsible for injuries that you suffered as the result of an accident, they you may be entitled to compensation for those injuries. Only an experienced California attorney can evaluate the facts of your specific case and advise you whether you have a viable claim.
If you have been injured in an accident 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 at www.ledgerlaw.com.
