Sudden Unintended Acceleration
What is sudden unintended acceleration?
Sudden unintended acceleration (SUA) affects vehicles, and is an occurrence where the vehicle suddenly speeds out of control. Usually in these cases, the driver is unable to stop it by traditional means such as applying the brake or even applying the emergency brake. This may result in a crash injuring the driver, other vehicle occupants, pedestrians, other vehicles and drivers, and structures the runaway vehicle may impact.
The issue of sudden unintended acceleration came into the spotlight in 2009, when Toyota announced a massive recall of Toyota and Lexus model vehicles after a crash resulted in the death of a Lexus driver and his family. The recall was blamed on defective floor mats that Toyota claimed trapped the gas pedal. Another recall followed, in which the sudden acceleration problem was blamed on a sticky accelerator pedal. The Toyota recall eventually involved millions of vehicles worldwide.
Lawyers investigating cases of serious injury and death in sudden unintended acceleration crashes believe the Toyota and Lexus vehicle electrical system is to blame for the problem. Toyota maintains the problem is caused by defective floor mats, sticky accelerator pedals and operator error.
Although the Toyota case is the most prominent due to its recent occurrence, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has been examining the issue of SUA since the 1980s. It began a study of the problem in 1986 after what it called an “above average” number of incident reports involving sudden unintended acceleration.
Vehicles involved in reported SUA accidents in the 1980s are the Honda Accord and the Audi 5000. In 1997, the NHTSA recorded SUA accidents linked to Jeep Cherokees and Grand Cherokees. Since 2000, there have been reports of SUA involving Ford Explorers, Ford Mustang Cobra, Kia Amanti and Kia Sehia, and several models of Toyota cars and trucks.
What can I do?
If you feel you have a claim, our attorneys would like to talk to you. You may be entitled to compensation. Contact us today for a free, no-obligation legal consultation.
Cases Investigated
Beasley Allen is currently investigating cases involving serious injury or death resulting from sudden unintended acceleration. However, our attorneys would like to investigate any claims of serious injury or death that may be the result of accident, assault, nursing home neglect or sexual abuse.
Toyota billion-dollar settlement discussed by Beasley Allen’s Dee Miles on WSFA
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Florida judge finds Ford deceived court in sudden acceleration trial
July 25, 2011 - Ford Motor Company defrauded the court, lied to federal regulators, and covered up decades of evidence linking sudden unintended acceleration incidents to electromagnetic interference a... Read More
Deja Vu – Toyota recalling 2 million vehicles for floor mat problem
February 24, 2011 - This morning Toyota is announcing a recall of more than 2 million vehicles in the United States, saying they may pose a danger of the accelerator becoming entrapped in the floor mat.... Read More
Attorneys say government findings on Toyota sudden unintended acceleration won’t hold up under further scrutiny
February 9, 2011 - On Feb. 8, the U.S. Department of Transportation released results of a 10-month study on the suspected cause of Sudden Unintended Acceleration that affected thousands of Toyota... Read More
Toyota hit with an additional $32 million in fines over recalls
December 21, 2010 - The U.S. Transportation Department announced Monday night, Dec. 20, that Toyota will pay an additional $32 million in penalties related to its recent automobile recalls. The fines are... Read More
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May 14, 2010 - United States District Judge James V. Selna today appointed W. Daniel "Dee" Miles, III, head of the Consumer Fraud section for Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis and Miles, P.C., to... Read More
State suits against Toyota could pave the way for federal multidistrict litigation
April 29, 2010 - Toyota Motor Corp.'s legal problems aren't limited to the federal multidistrict litigation over unintended acceleration of its vehicles. Scores of lawsuits are working their way... Read More
Toyota announces planned recall of Lexus GX 460 SUV
April 19, 2010 - Toyota announced it will recall about 9,400 model-year 2010 Lexus GX 460s to reprogram the Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), which is typically referred to outside of Toyota as... Read More
