Toyota Motor Corp. announced that 3.8 million of its vehicles in the United States are being recalled to correct a safety issue pertaining to removable floor mats. The floor mats in question could have a propensity for causing the accelerator to become stuck, causing the vehicle to continue acceleration and making it difficult to bring the vehicle to a stop. According to Toyota, the recall will affect the 2007-2010 model year Toyota Camry, the 2005-2010 Toyota Avalon, the 2004-2009 Toyota Prius, the 2005-2010 Tacoma, the 2007-2010 Toyota Tundra, the 2007-2010 Lexus ES350 and, the 2006-2010 Lexus IS250 and IS350. A money.cnn.com article reported that motorists driving any of these Toyoya vehicles should immediately remove the floor mat from the driver’s side to eliminate the risk of injury from a stuck accelerator.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, reports have been received of at least 102 different incidents in which the accelerator on a Toyota vehicle became stuck because of the floor mats. One noteworthy reported accident, and the incident which initially spurred the investigation into the auto product defect, involved a high-speed crash which occurred in California in August of 2009. That accident made headlines when the passengers inside a Lexus made a frantic call to 911 emergency services to explain that their accelerator was stuck and that they couldn’t stop their vehicle. All passengers in that vehicle were killed when the car unavoidably crashed.
Manufacturers, designers, and distributors of motor vehicles all have obligations to ensure that their products are safe to use and fit for the purpose intended. If they breach those obligations, it can result in tragic circumstances including motor vehicle accidents causing injury or death.
If you or a loved one have recently been involved in a motor vehicle accident, and you have reason to believe that a defective auto product may have been a factor in causing an accident or injuries, contact the auto product liability attorneys at Blume Forte. Our skilled personal injury lawyers will evaluate the details of the accident, and, will determine whether a product liability claim may be warranted. For more information, call us for a no-cost consultation at 973-845-4421.