Unintended Acceleration Problems with Toyota Prius Models Reported in Seattle
The Seattle Times tells the story of a West Seattle man whose Toyota Prius was totaled a year ago as a result of “unintended acceleration.” According to the news report, the driver lost control of his Prius, knocking down a fence post and jumping a retaining wall in West Seattle. In this particular case, the driver escaped without injuries. However, the vehicle was declared a total loss by insurers and he filed a complaint with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). This driver is not alone. This man’s complaint was one of more than 100 submitted by American drivers who had issues with Prius speed controls for 2004 to 2010 models.
Last year, Prius models were involved in Toyota recalls where consumers were advised to remove floor mats in order to prevent the gas pedals from getting jammed. Now, the company in the process of looking into brake failure problems reported by drivers of 2010 Prius models. In the West Seattle incident, the driver reported that as he slowed down his Prius to make a right turn to park, his car raced forward. His brakes did not work.
I hope Toyota is seriously investigating both the unintended acceleration and brake failure problems in the Prius. It is indeed fortunate that this West Seattle driver did not get seriously injured or killed in this accident apparently caused by either brake failure or unintended acceleration. If you are a Toyota owner and have sustained injuries because of these or other product defects, please contact a Seattle auto products liability lawyer to find out about your legal rights and options. Knowledgeable auto product defect lawyers would advise victims to preserve the crashed vehicle in its current condition until it can be properly examined for auto defects or malfunctions. In any auto products liability case, please remember that the vehicle is the main piece of evidence.
If your loved one has been seriously injured by a defective auto, please contact the reputed Washington auto products liability lawyers at The Bernard Law Firm to find out about your legal rights and options. Please call us at 1-800-418-8282 or e-mail us at info@bernardlawgroup.com to schedule your FREE, comprehensive and confidential consultation. We can also send you our FREE brochure about Washington auto product defect cases, which has useful, educational information to help you better understand your rights. Get in touch with Kirk Bernard and his skilled legal team today.
Source:http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2010986936_toyotaseattle05m.html?syndication=rss