January 25, 2011 – Following U.S. federal government probes into the safety recalls of more than 11 million vehicles, Toyota Motor agreed to pay the maximum fine for these violations. Reuters reports that the $32.4 million dollar fine comes after numerous vehicle recalls due to unintended acceleration complaints. Three major fines were levied against the automaker whose vehicles were the focus of numerous safety concerns and recalls in 2010. The fines assessed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration were agreed to without admitting that Toyota violated any laws.
The scrutiny and eventual fines were due to the methods by which Toyota handled the vehicle recalls. Many models had to be brought to dealerships for repairs to the acceleration systems and it seemed a new recall was announced just as the last one had been settled. Many Toyota models have been cited for manufacturing flaws that cause uncontrolled acceleration. These incidents have been responsible for numerous crashes and even some deaths in the United States, prompting several personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits stemming from defective product claims.
Manufacturers owe their consumers a duty of care to produce defect-free products that are safe to use. When a manufacturing defect is found in a consumer product, such as a vehicle, the company must handle a recall and repair program with prompt attention. When a manufacturer defect leads to personal injury or death, the victim and/or their family may be able to pursue a dangerous product claim against the liable parties involved with the production, distribution and sale of the dangerous vehicle.
Contacting a New York Defective Product Lawyer
At Gacovino Lake & Associates we have formed a dedicated network of personal injury lawyers to serve clients nationwide for their injury claims. Our New York office serves residents of the 5 boroughs with their auto accident, medical malpractice, defective product, premises liability, and Workers’ Compensation claims. For experienced help when filing your personal injury claim, contact us today – 1-800-246-4878.
