Dallas Fort Worth Injury Lawyer Blog
A Texas attorney is moving at full speed with a proposed class action against Toyota over accidents allegedly caused by stuck gas pedals, even as the automaker announced it has a remedy to put the brakes on the problem.
Representing Corpus Christi residents Sylvia and Albert Pena III and others similarly situated, attorney Hilliard filed suit against Toyota Motor Corp. and Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc. The suit was filed Jan. 29 in the Corpus Christi Division of the Southern District of Texas.
“This is a civil action against defendants based upon information and belief that defendants, and each of them, designed, manufactured, distributed, and sold certain automobiles equipped with the Electronic Throttle Control System with Intelligence (ETCS-i) and/or Electronic Throttle Control System (ETC) that is defective in that it will allow sudden unintended acceleration of the vehicle engine,” wrote Hilliard.
According to the complaint, the Penas purchased a 2008 Toyota Avalon from Champion Toyota in Corpus Christi which contained the ETCS-i or ETC pedal mechanism.
On Jan. 14, Albert Pena was driving the Avalon “when the vehicle unexpectedly accelerated at a stop sign, causing a collision,” the suit states.
The pedal mechanisms are made and supplied by CST Corp. and used in Corolla, Camry, Avalon, Tundra, RAV4 and other Toyota models as well as some Lexus models.
Since November, at least 10 suits have been filed in U.S. and Canadian courts, according to Reuters. Cases seeking class-action status were previously filed in California, Florida, Louisiana and West Virginia.
A wrongful death suit was filed in Houston on Feb. 1 by a man who alleges his wife was killed when her 2009 Toyota Carolla hit a concrete highway divider.
But Hilliard’s proposed Texas plaintiffs class will exclude anyone with claims of personal injury or wrongful death as an alleged result of “sudden, unintended acceleration.”
Instead, the Pena’s are suing for breach of implied warranty of merchantability and breach of implied warranty of fitness for a particular purpose.
According to the Pena’s lawsuit, Toyota vehicles originally had both an electronic throttle control and a mechanical link between the gas pedal and the engine throttle “as a fail safe in the event of a sudden unintended acceleration.”
“Beginning in or about 2001, however, Defendants designed, manufactured, distributed, and sold Toyota and Lexus automobiles equipped with ETCS-i without any redundant mechanical linkage between the gas pedal and the engine throttle control,” Hilliard wrote.
On Feb. 1, Toyota announced that it had a solution to the problem. It will install a stainless steel reinforcement bar into the pedal assembly designed to keep the pedal from sticking and assure that it returns into place.
The Penas are asking that Toyota recall all vehicles equipped with ETCS-i, provide restitution of all funds improperly obtained as a result of fraudulent practices or violation of laws and a disgorgement of all profits obtained by the fraudulent acts.
In addition, the suit is seeking compensatory damages of at least $75,000 for each class representative, punitive damages as allowed under Texas law, attorneys’ fees, costs and interest.
Case No. 2:10-cv-0037
If you or a family member has been personally injured because of the fault of someone else: by the use of dangerous and defective drugs, defective cars, bad products, or toxic injury etc then please contact the Fort Worth Texas Defective Toyota Car Product Liability Attorney Dr. Shezad Malik. For a no obligation, free case analysis, please call 214-390-3189 or Contact Me Online.
The Dr. Shezad Malik Law is currently evaluating and accepting Defective Toyota Car Acceleration cases.
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