By admin on March 24, 2010
Safety Research & Strategies, Inc. reported on March 24, 2010 that Toyota has added 2008-2010 Highlander Hybrids to the list of vehicles included in its Safety Recall for potential floor mat interference with the gas pedal. According to the article, in announcing “Phase Four” of the Safety Recall, Toyota informed dealers that “the same templates and gauges provided to dealers for the Camry (Phase 1) will be utilized.” Every Highlander Hybrid automobile has a Denso pedal, which will be substituted with a new pedal that is supposed to be thinned-down and less stiff.
The article also discusses a sudden acceleration incident involving a 2008 Highlander Hybrid that took place in the Mojave Desert that appears to support the possibility that Toyota’s design defects go beyond floor mat obstruction. When the motorist in this incident accelerated to pass another car at about 75 mph, he was unable to press down the brakes and the Hybrid kept accelerating. Based on the driver’s account, he attempted to apply and let go of the gas pedal many times, but the Hybrid kept accelerating and reached speeds of up to 95 mph. Finally, after he pressed the brake pedal and emergency brake simultaneously, the car slowed down, but the engine continued to rev up. The driver’s wife then pushed the gear shift into park and their car came to a stop.
In initiating different “phases” of its Safety Recall, one is left to wonder how it is possible that Toyota has overlooked certain models having similar flaws to vehicles already recalled. Incidents of unintended acceleration and innocent people being hurt or even killed should not be what it takes for an automaker to detect a serious auto design flaw.
The list of Toyota vehicle models that are still awaiting a modified pedal and floor mat replacement include:
- 2009 – 2010 Corolla
- 2008 – 2010 Highlander (Non-Hybrid)
- 2009 – 2010 Matrix
- 2004 – 2009 Prius
- 2005 – 2010 Tacoma
- 2007 – 2010 Tundra
- 2009 – 2010 Venza
The Toyota sudden acceleration recall attorneys at Panish Shea & Boyle LLP are investigating incidents of unintended acceleration and auto accidents involving all Toyota & Lexus vehicle models, whether they have been recalled or not. If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident concerning one of these affected vehicles, the skilled auto products liability and personal injury lawyers at Panish Shea & Boyle LLP are available to help. Visit our Toyota recall breaking news page at http://www.psandb.com/toyota-2010-recall-news.html for more information or call 877-800-1700 to schedule a free consultation regarding your potential claim.
Source:http://www.safetyresearch.net/2010/03/24/roll-out-the-recalls/
By admin on March 5, 2010
A bus accident outside of Phoenix, Arizona has claimed the lives of six (6) individuals, while injuring the remaining sixteen (16) occupants, according to an Associated Press article. The crash occurred approximately 25 miles south of downtown Phoenix on the Gila River Indian Reservation near the community of Sacaton at 5:30am on the morning of March 5th 2010.
Authorities stated that six people were ejected from the bus after it hit a pickup truck and rolled over, causing the roof of the bus to be crushed and all of the windows to be knocked out. Arizona Department of Public Safety spokesman Bart Graves said two men and four women were killed in the Phoenix bus crash. The bus, traveling from the central Mexican state of Zacatecas to Los Angeles was operated by Tierra Santa Inc., a Van Nuys, California bus company.
In addition to the 6 deceased passengers, 9 individuals were listed in critical condition at Phoenix-area hospitals. The driver of the bus was listed in critical condition and the disposition of the remaining passengers was not immediately known.
While details of the accident have yet to be confirmed, authorities have stated that the bus hit a pickup traveling westbound on Highway 10 in the pre-dawn hours of March 5th, veered onto the left shoulder of the road, then overcorrected in the opposite direction and rolled once before landing on its wheels.
The bus accident attorneys at Panish Shea & Boyle LLP have long maintained that buses, especially tour and long distance commuter buses, which travel on our highways, are ill-equipped to protect their passengers. Despite vast knowledge in the bus industry that bus accidents like the one that happened in Phoenix occur, these buses do not have seatbelts. The U.S. National Highway Safety Bureau made seat belts mandatory equipment in passenger vehicles in the United States in 1968.Additionally, bus roof structures are not designed in such a way to protect the occupant survival space in foreseeable rollover accidents.
Details regarding this horrible Phoenix bus accident are still being uncovered and the bus accident attorneys at Panish Shea & Boyle LLP will continue to monitor new information regarding the crash as it becomes available.
By admin on March 3, 2010
A recent CBS News article reports that the United States Transportation Department has released updated consumer complaints connecting 52 deaths to Toyota sudden acceleration dating back to incidents from the year 2000. The government had previously announced receiving allegations of 34 deaths due to unintended acceleration in Toyota vehicles in incidents that had occurred over the last ten years. The updated figure on fatalities caused by Toyota acceleration issues was announced during a Senate hearing on March 2, 2010 regarding the immense 8.5 million Toyota models recalled.
As more and more people realize that sudden acceleration may be to blame for past Toyota auto accidents, we can expect the number of serious injuries and deaths to continue to rise. Meanwhile, in the latest development in this tragic soap opera, three Toyota executives and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood are scheduled to address a Senate panel, in what will be the third congressional hearing within a week’s time regarding the monumental recall.
As consumers, we expect the vehicles we purchase to be safe and free of defect that may potentially inflict harm. However, as the recent Toyota recalls demonstrate, auto manufacturers may rush the design and production of their vehicles, putting profits before the safety of those purchasing their products. As the death and injury toll continues to rise as more accident victims and family members reflect on the Toyota accidents that have seriously affected their lives, it is uncertain how many more catastrophic auto accidents involving recalled Toyota models are likely to be connected to acceleration problems.
The Toyota accelerator defect injury lawyers at Panish Shea & Boyle LLP will continue to monitor the latest in Toyota recall news as well as the outcome of government panels and investigation of consumer complaints. Our experienced auto product liability attorneys are currently handling cases for those injured in accidents involving recalled Toyota vehicles and are prepared to assist you if you or someone close to you suspects that a gas pedal defect caused an injury or fatal collision. For more information regarding your potential case and how Panish Shea & Boyle LLP may be able to help you receive the compensation you deserve for your injuries or losses, please call 877-800-1700 or visit www.psandb.com to schedule a free consultation and evaluation.
Source:http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/03/02/business/main6258603.shtml
