A March 8 incident involving a “runaway Prius” is showing how Toyota’s floor mat and gas pedal recalls may not be enough to solve their entire safety issue.
According to official reports, a 61-year-old driver was unable to stop his Toyota Prius vehicle while navigating Freeway 8 in the San Diego area. The driver said he was speeding up to pass another vehicle when his gas pedal remained stuck in an advanced position. The vehicle ended up reaching speeds of 94 miles per hour as the driver made a 911 call to local police, who arrived on the scene before any accident occurred. The driver, in conjunction with police, was able to stop the vehicle only by using both the foot brake and the parking or emergency brake on a steep incline, according to the Huffington Post article detailing the event.
The incident in California mirrors other similar events when Toyota drivers have experienced “sudden acceleration” in their vehicles. Toyota has recalled millions of vehicles since this kind of problem started getting reported by drivers of relatively recent Toyota models. Most of the Toyota lineup is affected. Toyota has issued two recalls, one for floor mats and another for a “sticky gas pedal.” In MSNBC coverage of the March 8 incident, the driver testified that his gas pedal “jumped,” which seems indicate that the problem may be more complex than the company contends. Also, some drivers have been reporting that their Toyota vehicles are still experiencing sudden and unintended acceleration after getting the floor mat or gas pedal fixes. All of the recent testimony by drivers, Toyota executives, and U.S. government officials leaves American legislators and consumer groups skeptical about whether the whole picture has been revealed on the Toyota acceleration issue.
Some accidents, injuries and even fatalities have been reported as related to the sudden acceleration of a Toyota vehicle. If you have been injured in an accident as the result of a Toyota recall issue, Samer Habbas, the Southern California Toyota recall lawyer, can help you to recover compensation that you may be entitled to under the law. Call the Law Offices of Samer Habbas at 888-848-5084 for a free consultation.
