One month after reaching a $1.1B settlement with hundreds of plaintiffs claiming that auto defects linked to sudden unintended acceleration caused the value of their vehicles to drop, Toyota Motor Corp. has reached confidential settlements in two wrongful deaths involving the same safety issue.
This auto defect, which can cause a vehicle to suddenly speed up without warning while causing the driver to lose the ability to slow it down or stop the car, has been linked to hundreds of motor vehicle injuries and fatalities. In this latest wrongful death case, Charlene Jones Lloyd and Paul Van Alfen, died in 2010 when the Camry they were riding crashed into a wall. Van Alfen’s wife and his son, who was engaged to Jones Lloyd, were also injured. Investigators report that skid marks on the interstate showed that Van Alfen tried to stop the Camry as it accelerated out of control.
The police say that the vehicle suddenly accelerated after the gas pedal got stuck. Sticky gas pedals and ill-fitting floor have both been linked to the Toyota sudden unintended acceleration problem. This safety issue eventually led to a number of recalls involving millions of vehicles and the manufacturer later had to pay tens of millions of dollars in fines to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for not alerting the government about this problem sooner.
The Van Alfen case is one of close to 200 sudden unintended lawsuits filed by plaintiffs against Toyota. In 2010, the automaker settled for $10M a similar case involving the death of an off-duty cop, his wife, their 13-year-old daughter, and his brother-in-law.
Massachusetts Products Liability
At Altman & Altman, LLP, our Boston auto defects law firm represents clients injured in Massachusetts motor vehicle crashes caused by safety issues, such as:
• SUV rollovers • 15-passenger van defects • Air bag problems • Tire defects • Tire blowouts • Roof crush • Auto fires • Seatbelt problems • Structural issues • Engine defects • Electronic stability control flaws
Our Boston products liability lawyers know how intimidating it can be to go after a large automaker and we are here to make this process go smoothly for our clients. We are not afraid to zealously advocate on our clients’ behalf to make sure that they get the recovery they are owed.
You want to work with a Boston personal injury law firm that has experience in the type of case you are pursuing.
Toyota Moves to Settle Two High-Profile Sudden Acceleration Cases, Los Angeles Times, January 16, 2013
Toyota settles bellwether wrongful death lawsuit, Boston.com/AP, January 17, 2012
More Blog Posts:
Will Boston Auto Products Liability Lawyers Push Toyota Motor Corp. To Open Previously Resolved Rollover Lawsuits?, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, September 4, 2009
Toyota Issues International Recall of 1.3 Million Motor Vehicles, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, January 29, 2009
MA Judge Allows Lawsuit to Move Forward on Gillette Stadium Fatal Crash, Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog, December 14, 2012