In 2010, Paul Van Aflen and Charlene Lloyd were killed when their Toyota Camry slammed into a wall in 2010. Toyota has recently settled with their families on the claim that there was an accelerator problem. Witnesses, passengers, and investigators have come to the conclusion that the accident happened because of a sudden, unmanned acceleration. Skid marks on the road confirm that Van Alfen tried to stop the car, as it went through a stop sign, through an intersection, and ultimately crashed into a wall. The gas pedal was stuck.
In another earlier case, a California highway Patrol officer and three of his family members were killed in San Diego, when their Toyota-built Lexus reached speeds of over 120 mph. They hit an SUV, were launched off an embankment, and rolled several times before bursting into flames.
These cases have spurred a series of Toyota vehicle recalls involving more than 14 million cars. Hundreds of similar law suits have flooded in around the country. Last month, Toyota settled with more than $1 billion to resolve the suits claiming sudden acceleration problems.
With regards to these law suits, Toyota has blamed driver errors, faulty floor mats, and/or stuck accelerator pedals for the problems. They issued the following statement: “We sympathize with anyone in an accident involving one of our vehicles. However, we continue to stand fully behind the safety and integrity of Toyota’s Electronic Throttle Control System, which multiple independent evaluations have confirmed as safe.”
If you have been injured in a car accident due to a faulty make or model, you need to have an accident attorney on your side. Call Christensen & Hymas for a free consultation. 801-506-0800
Original image courtesy of KSL