Florida Sudden Acceleration Injury Attorneys

Sudden acceleration has occasionally occurred across many past and current vehicle makes and models. Automakers typically respond to the problem by issuing a recall and providing a fix for the affected vehicles. Unfortunately, if automakers choose profits over safety, and subsequently sweep the problem under the rug, the damage count starts to add up.

For over fifteen years, Toyota vehicles exhibited sudden, unexpected acceleration, which resulted in serious damage and injuries, including loss of life. The Toyota Motor Corporation continually denied responsibility for the incidents, adamantly citing user error, despite the problem prevalently affecting vehicles in the Toyota and Lexus lineup.

More than a decade of investigations and court cases revealed that manufacturing and design errors, not misuse by consumers, indeed caused the sudden acceleration accidents. By that time, the death, injury and damage counts reached overwhelming levels, as individuals continued piloting the defective automobiles throughout the years. If you or your family members suffered financial or personal loss due to this automotive defect, you can seek compensation with help from a lawyer.

Exploring Sudden Acceleration Cases

Nearly all of the Toyota and Lexus model in the 2000 through 2010 lineup exhibited sudden acceleration faults. Despite continued denials, the investigations revealed the truth about the main causes of this potentially deadly problem.

Design Flaws

Original suspicions inspired investigators to closely examine the electronic control systems linked to the accelerator and brakes. Investigators attempted to prove that these systems set the vehicle at wide open throttle and failed to comply with driver inputs. Despite repeated lab tests, investigators were unable to consistently replicate the problem and identify the main failure points. A breakthrough in 2008 revealed that not only were the electronic control systems faulty, but that the floor mats and trim pieces prevented the gas pedal from moving back to a neutral position.

Failure To Recall

Investigators revealed that Toyota Motor Corporation officials were aware of the defective systems, but chose to avoid a recall by keeping the information under wraps. Even when faced with the deaths related to sudden acceleration, the automaker kept mum while continually selling these dangerous vehicles.

A recall and repair would have prevented the majority of the damage, injuries and deaths. As demonstrated on an ABC News segment, simply educating drivers about the need to shift into neutral to stop the acceleration had the potential to save lives.

The negligence exhibited by Toyota resulted in a fine of $1.2 billion to avoid facing prosecution for its blatant disregard for public safety. In addition, you can file your own sudden acceleration lawsuit to recoup losses associated with accidents caused by these dangerous defects.

Vehicle Use Requirements For Successful Claims

Your lawyer will need to provide proof that you were operating the vehicle in a safe manner when the accident occurred. To avoid shared blame, you must have been piloting the vehicle as intended when a problem beyond your control caused the sudden acceleration. Your lawyer may use information from prior cases to link your car’s specific year, make and model with ones identified as the problem vehicles.

Hiring A Lawyer For Your Sudden Acceleration Lawsuit

Although the courts identified Toyota as negligent for sudden acceleration incidents, you will have the best chance in course with a lawyer representing you. You can also seek compensation for damages caused by sudden acceleration in other vehicle makes and models, depending on the identified cause.

Your lawyer will provide evidence of the vehicle damage and personal injuries sustained due to the faulty electronic control system, floor mats or trim pieces in your vehicle. The settlement may cover vehicle damage, lost wages, pain and suffering, medical bills and other associated expenses. If you want to seek compensation for a sudden acceleration accident, call our team of lawyers today or fill out a case evaluation form for our review.

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