Toyota to Replace 4 Million Gas Pedals that Could Jam
Toyota Motor Corp. announced on November 25 that it would replace accelerator pedals on about 4 million recalled vehicles in the United States because the pedals can get stuck in the floor mats.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that, temporarily, Toyota will have dealers shorten the length of the gas pedals beginning in January. The company is going to develop replacement pedals for their vehicles. New pedals will be available beginning in April, and some vehicles will have brake override systems installed as a precaution.
The Toyota Camry and the Toyota Prius are among those recalled. Also included is the luxury Lexus ES350, the model in a fatal accident in California that focused public attention on the danger.
Toyota announced the massive recall in late September and told owners to remove the driver’s side floor mats to prevent the gas pedal from potentially becoming jammed. The recall has prompted Toyota’s top executives to push for improved quality controls.
The recall involving the accelerators was Toyota’s largest recall in the U.S. It was prompted by a high-speed crash in August involving a 2009 Lexus ES350 that killed a California Highway Patrol officer and three members of his family. The Lexus hit speeds exceeding 120 mph, struck a sport utility vehicle, launched off an embankment, rolled several times and burst into flames.
A family member in the Lexus made a 911 call moments before the crash and told emergency responders that the accelerator was stuck and the driver couldn’t stop the car.
The government has attributed at least five deaths and two injuries to floor mat-related unintended acceleration in the Toyota vehicles and has received reports of more than 100 incidents in which the accelerator may have become stuck. A Massachusetts-based safety consultant who has investigated the Toyota cases, however, has found more than 2,000 incidents involving 16 deaths and 243 injuries potentially tied to the Toyota gas pedals.
Consumers have the right to assume that products they purchase or use have been produced in a manner that would ensure that they are safe and free from unreasonable risks. If a company manufactures a product that is hazardous to the user, the company must be held liable for any injuries or fatalities that occurred due to the faulty product.
There are innumerable products that may pose serious threats to innocent consumers if they have a defect, and may include auto parts, toys, medications, motor vehicles, household appliances, and furniture.
If you have a Pennsylvania defective product claim, you will require the representation of a Philadelphia Pennsylvania products liability attorney from Cherry, Fieger and Marciano, LLP to handle all of the complexities involved with this type of case. There are many steps to a product liability case, beginning with proving that the product was in fact defective, next proving the product was the cause of the injury, and finally proving that the product was not used unreasonably. Contact Cherry, Fieger and Marciano, LLP today to discuss your case with an experienced legal professional.
Source article: http://www.philly.com/philly/business/20091125_ap_toyotatoreplace4gaspedalsthatcouldjam.html
