Los Angeles Injury Lawyer Blog

In addition to the numerous car accident lawsuits facing Toyota due to defects that caused the cars to accelerate and crash, insurance companies are now suing Toyota as well. The insurance companies filed lawsuits in Los Angeles County Superior Court asserting that "Toyota's cars and trucks have a defect that causes sudden uncontrolled acceleration of speeds up to 100 mph or more." Insurers want to recoup the money they have paid out as a result of these accidents.

Insurance statistics note at least 725 car crashes were caused by accelerator defects and blame Toyota for failing to install protective measures against sudden acceleration. Regardless of how these lawsuits are resolved, those injured as a result of the defects are entitled to compensation.

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According to the Los Angeles Times, Toyota Motor Corp has settled a high-profile lawsuit involving a fatal crash linked to sudden acceleration. The lawsuit, Saylor v. Toyota Motor Corp., garnered national attention and led to massive recalls and hundreds of lawsuits around the country.

No details have yet been disclosed about the settlement in the wrongful death lawsuit, however, the settlement is only between Toyota and the survivors. El Cajon Luxury Cars, Inc., remains in the lawsuit, leaving open questions of dealership liability.

According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), several factors played a role in the fatal accident including floor mats that jammed the pedal, a defective braking mechanism, and difficulty maneuvering the gas pedal.
As a result of the various problems, Toyota recalled 5.4 million vehicles. Hundreds of personal injuries claims, including wrongful death, and product liability lawsuits have been filed as a result.

Toyota was not the only company to issue recalls this year. Recalls have affected Ford, GM and even Ferrari.

Continue reading "Toyota Settles Fatal Accelerator Defect Case" »

On Tuesday Toyota Motor Corp. filed a motion in federal court in Santa Ana, California, seeking to dismiss hundred of product liability lawsuits filed as a result of accelerator defect injuries. Currently, Toyota faces more than 300 federal and state lawsuits including proposed class actions over economic losses and claims of serious personal injury and wrongful death.

Lawsuits have been filed based on theories of negligence and strict liability. Documents suggest that Toyota was aware of the defects, but failed to correct the problem or warn of the potential dangers. Toyota disputes these claims. However, an unidentified Toyota employee "requested immediate action" in 2003 after investigated an allegation of unintended acceleration. A second technician wrote, "We are also much afraid of frequency of this problem in near future."

These lawsuits also assert that Toyota Motor Corp. is responsible for the loss of value of the vehicles due to the failure to fix or disclose defects leading to accidental acceleration.

Many lawsuits also claim that Toyota is liable for misrepresentations - i.e. Toyota has consistently marketed its vehicles as safe and proclaimed that safety is one of its highest corporate priorities."

A hearing on the motion is scheduled for Nov. 19 in Santa Ana.

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