Posts Tagged ‘national highway traffic safety administration nhtsa’

Toyota Recall Lawyer Asks The Tough Question

Thursday, February 11th, 2010

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 under way, 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.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Toyota Recall Attorney | No Comments »

Toyota Recall Recall Lawyer Discusses 2010 Prius and 2010 Lexus HS 250h

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010

As we have all heard on the news, Toyota has been plagued with problems covering a variety of the vehicles that they manufacture over the last six months. First was the recall in October of 2009 covering approximately 4 million vehicles for a problem wherein the accelerator becomes stuck on the floor mats. Then last month, Toyota announced another recall affecting 2.3 million vehicles for another accelerator problem that appears to be internal to the pedal itself. Yesterday, Toyota announced a third official recall expected to involve approximately 150,000 more vehicles in North America alone. The reason given for this latest recall is that Toyota needs to “update software in the vehicle’s anti-lock brake system (ABS)”.

During normal operation, the ABS system in a vehicle is designed to engage and disengage very rapidly as the control system senses and reacts to tire slippage. The point of having an ABS system it to have better control over braking – especially when driving on wet or slippery surfaces. According to reports from owners of the 2010 Prius and 2010 Lexus HS 250h, the ABS system on their vehicles has not been working as it is intended too. To the contrary, they report that the brakes are working inconsistently and slowly when they apply the brake on rough or slick road surfaces. This is exactly when the ABS system is supposed to kick in to maintain tire traction.

Complaints have been pouring in regarding the braking system failure. On Feb. 4, The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) officially had 124 complaints and two injuries listed in their database. Less than one week later, though, its online database shows more than 900 complaints and at least 6 injuries attributable to one of the recently recalled vehicles. Experts say that the problem appears to be a time lag in the vehicle’s system when it switches to the anti-lock brake mode. This should take place immediately without any noticeable lapse in time. Toyota has already implemented the software upgrade to vehicles being produced as of last month, but for models previously sold, they will need to have the software upgrade installed at a dealer.

Understandably, this latest recall adds to the growing concern about the safety of the vehicles we are driving. The complaints that have been registered with the NHTSA are increasing on a daily basis and range from a simple complaint that the vehicle isn’t operating correctly to complaints that fatal accidents have been caused as a result of the vehicles design or manufacture. If you have suffered injuries as a result of an accident involving one of the recalled vehicles, you maybe entitled to compensation for your injuries. Contact an experienced California personal injury and product liability attorney to find out more information regarding your rights and options as a victim.

If you have been involved in a car accident involving a recalled vehicle, 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.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Toyota Recall Attorney | No Comments »

Drowsy Driving Accidents

Monday, February 8th, 2010

If you have been driving for any length of time, it has probably happened to you – that moment when you realize you are drifting off while you are driving. Your eyes feel heavy and you find yourself snapping your head up. That is obviously the opportune time to take the next exit and let someone else drive or check into a motel. Unfortunately, not everyone makes that decision. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), drowsiness or fatigue is the principal cause of up to 100,000 passenger vehicle crashes every year, killing at least 1,500 people and injuring 71,000. Many more fatigue-related crashes go unreported as people are hesitant to admit that they were falling asleep at the wheel. You may think that we can blame the majority of those crashes on the semi-truck drivers. Not true. Less than 1 percent of all sleep-related crashes involve truck drivers, who are prohibited, by federal regulation, from driving more than 10 hours in a 24-hour period.

A recent NHTSA study showed that twenty percent of crashes and another twelve percent of near-crashes are the result of drowsy drivers. In the study, 100 vehicles were outfitted with cameras that recorded driver action and reaction. These vehicles were then followed for one year and almost 2 million miles of driving. You may be surprised to find out that the majority of accidents caused by drowsy driving actually happened during the day. Also interesting was that while all other age groups were equally represented in the incidents of drowsy driving, the 18-20 age group was five times more likely to have a fatigue related accident. We can only guess that their inexperience behind the wheel and erratic sleep patterns are factors.

People become drowsy behind the wheel for a variety of reasons. Sometimes they have been working two jobs and just can’t get enough sleep. Maybe they worked all day and are now trying to “drive straight through” to their vacation destination. Often times, cold medication can make someone drowsy without them being aware until it’s too late. So what can you do if you have been the victim in an accident with someone who has been driving while drowsy or fallen asleep at the wheel?

The most important thing you can do is contact an experience California car accident attorney. If you have suffered damages as a result of someone else’s negligence, then you may be due compensation for your injuries. Only an experienced California accident attorney can discuss your case with you and advise you whether you have a valid personal injury claim. That same attorney can explain to you the many steps involved in the legal process as well as answer any questions you may have regarding your personal situation. A car accident can be a terrifying experience and it is normal to feel confused and frustrated after you have been involved in one, but you aren’t alone.

If you have suffered injuries as a result of a car 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.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Auto Accident Lawyer | No Comments »