Washington Personal Injury Lawyer & Attorney : Regan Zambri & Long Law Firm : DC Metro Area Personal Injury Law Blog

Posted by: Salvatore J. Zambri, founding partner

The Los Angeles Times reports that House Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Edolphus Towns said that Toyota "'deliberately withheld' evidence in lawsuits related to vehicle safety, exhibiting a 'systematic disregard for the law.'" According to the report, Towns stated that Toyota created secret "Books of Knowledge" that included information about design defects, but never disclosed their existence in lawsuits, according to internal company documents released by the committee Friday.  "We have to get to the bottom of this," Towns said in an interview. 'It is a situation that is just not going to go away if we ignore it.'"

Time magazine reviewed the progress of the congressional hearings concerning Toyota's safety crisis and noted that "the spectacle failed to answer a key question: whether Toyota has pinpointed the problems that caused it to recall more than 8 million cars, including over 6 million in the U.S., since last fall." Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda clearly has a tough road ahead of him in attempting to restore the company's image.  Of course, that image was of the company's own doing.

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Posted by: Salvatore J. Zambri, founding partner

This week Congressman Bruce Braley (Iowa) participated in the Toyota recall Oversight and Investigations Hearing.  I think you will find his questioning particularly illuminating.  Click here to view his questioning of Toyota's Chief Operating Officer.

What's becoming clearer as the hearings progress is that Toyota's business philosophy must undergo a sea-change.  Putting profits over safety, which is what seems to have been its business model, is un-American and dangerous.

To read some of my other blogs about Toyota's recent problems, please clicks the following links:

• Toyota Officials May Have Put Profits Over Safety
• Toyota Acceleration Defect Linked to 34 Fatalities, Says NHTSA
• Toyota Recalls 400k Defective Prius and Other Hybrid Cars
• Toyota Suspends Sales of Eight Car Models
• Toyota, Lexus Owners Make Sudden-Acceleration Complaints

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Posted by: Salvatore J. Zambri, founding partner

The Washington Post reports that Metro's "decision to mix different brands of signaling equipment -- despite a warning from one of the manufacturers -- could have caused the June crash that killed nine people, a senior engineer with the company," Alstom, "said Wednesday at a federal safety hearing." Information released by the NTSB "has pointed to possibly faulty and aging equipment in the failure of the automated crash-avoidance system. But the information on the signaling system attempts to shift blame to Metro's maintenance, testing and installation procedures."

As you may know from reading my prior blogs, my firm represents victims of this tragic and avoidable crash. 

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Posted by: Salvatore J. Zambri, founding partner

I have been blogging a lot about the recent problems facing Toyota.  In response to these problems, the Wall Street Journal has published an opinion piece, titled “Why We Need Trial Lawyers.”  To better understand the work we do as trial attorneys, please click here to view the full WSJ article.

There are many who wish to strip Americans of their civil rights in order to reap profits.  Those greedy folks seem to care little about those that are victims of carelessness and corruption.  I am proud to represent Americans every day, helping them to obtain justice following tragedy and wrongdoing.

If you have questions about our civil justice system, don't seek answers from those who spew rhetoric just to pad their profits.  Give me a call instead.  I'd be happy to share the facts with you.

Be safe.

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Posted by: Salvatore J. Zambri, founding partner

According to several news sources, Toyota officials apparently boasted about becoming subject to merely a limited recall in 2007 concerning defects in its automobiles. Per the CBS Evening News, the AP reported that "Toyota officials boasted last summer they saved $100 million back in 2007 when negotiating a limited recall of certain models with the federal government." The piece notes that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) "has received more than 2,000 complaints of sudden acceleration and 34 deaths have been blamed on Toyota vehicles" over the past decade, "according to the Detroit News, which also says the Administration was investigating Toyota for accelerator problems as early as 2003. Nevertheless, Toyota was never told to fix anything, and the investigation ended."

USA Today reports that "an internal Toyota document" states that the savings came from "getting the government to OK just replacing floor mats in 55,000 vehicles as a solution to sudden acceleration complaints. It's listed under 'wins for Toyota -- safety group' in the report, which is among documents obtained by a subpoena from the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. That and other references to saving money on safety issues raise the question of 'whether Toyota was lobbying for less rigid actions from regulators to protect their bottom line,' said Kurt Bardella, spokesman for the committee's ranking Republican, Darrell Issa of California." The document also said that "'NHTSA is more sensitive to public/congressional criticism' and that, combined with changes in regulations, will result in 'more investigations and more forced recalls.'"

The AP says that the documents "could set off alarms in Congress over whether Toyota put profits ahead of customer safety and pushed regulators to narrow the scope of recalls. Two House committees are holding hearings this week on" Toyota's recalls.

I hope Congress presses Toyota officials hard on when they knew of concerns, when they reacted, how they reacted, and whether the company did, indeed, put profits over the safety of Americans.  Americans have had enough with corporate greed, which leads to serious injuries and death, while corporations pad their profits.  Let's hope Toyota wasn't one of those companies.

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Posted by: Salvatore J. Zambri, founding partner

NBC Nightly News reported that "Federal safety officials said today the number of deaths that could be linked to sudden acceleration of Toyotas is now up to 34, based on consumer complaints they've received. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration says it's normal for complaints to increase after people get word of a recall as more people become aware of safety defects that could have contributed to accidents in the past." The CBS Evening News also noted the NHTSA announcement in a similarly brief report.

USA Today reports that NHTSA "has received complaints alleging an additional 21 fatalities linked to Toyota's sudden-acceleration incidents," which "brings to 34 the total number of fatalities in 26 accidents that complaints to NHTSA allege are linked to sudden acceleration by Toyota products." NHTSA "also has seen a jump in brake-related complaints for the 2010 Toyota Prius. When NHTSA began investigating problems with Prius brakes, it had 124 consumer complaints in its database," but "since the investigation was opened Feb. 3 and publicized, nearly 1,000 more complaints have been filed."

The Washington Post adds that Toyota "announced a voluntary safety recall to inspect the front drive shaft on some 2010 Tacoma four-wheel-drive trucks. Officials said the front shaft in about 8,000 vehicles might include a component that has cracks created during the manufacturing process, which could lead to separation of the drive shaft at the joint portion."

If you own a model affected by a recall, please have your vehicle inspected and do not drive it.  It could be a matter of life and death.

Travel safely.

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Posted by: Salvatore J. Zambri, founding partner

Earlier today Toyota announced a global recall of more than 400,000 Prius and other hybrid vehicles due to defects in the braking system of the vehicles. "Toyota President Akio Toyoda used extraordinary language at a press conference here to apologize for quality and safety issues that have led to the recall of more than 7 million vehicles in recent months. He repeated three times that Toyota was neither failure-proof nor 'omnipotent,' and he said that his company would now 'redouble our commitment to quality as the lifeline of our company,'" according to the Washington Post. 

The defect causes delays in the braking capacity of the recalled vehicles while on icy or bumpy roads.  The recall applies to "223,000 hybrids sold in Japan, along with 133,000 Prius cars and 14,500 Lexus HS250h vehicles in the United States. Nearly 53,000 Priuses are also being recalled in Europe. It begins in Japan on Wednesday and in the United States 'as soon as possible,' the company said, and as reported by the Post.

If you own a Toyota that has been recalled, you should stop driving it and get t to a dealer for repair immediately.  To learn more about this recall, visit Toyota's website.

I have blogged about Toyota recalls previously.  To read my previous posts, please select the following links:

•      Toyota, Lexus Owners Make Sudden-Acceleration Complaints
•      Deaths Lead Toyota to Recall Defective Cars
•      Toyota Will Change Accelerators to Avoid Jamming
•      Toyota Suspends Sales of Eight Models

Again, if you own a model affected by the recalls, please have your vehicle inspected.  It could be a matter of life and death.

Travel safely.

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Posted by: Salvatore J. Zambri, founding partner

For the first time in American history, a car manufacturer--Toyota--has told its dealers to stop selling eight of its models due to a potentially dangerous defect.  The models have potentially defective gas pedals (accelerator pedals) that could get stuck, leading to unavoidable car crashes.

The Washington Post (1/27, Mufson, Haynes) reports, Toyota "told its dealers to temporarily stop selling the RAV4, Highlander and Sequoia sport-utility vehicles; Corolla, Camry and Avalon cars; Matrix hatchbacks; and Tundra pickups." The Post notes, "The standstill is a huge setback for a company that built its business largely on a reputation for reliability and which perennially vies with General Motors and Volkswagen for the number one sales ranking among world auto companies." And "it left many loyal Toyota customers worried about safety and confused about what to do, because Toyota isn't sure how to fix the problem."

The New York Times (1/27, A1, Bunkley) reports on its front page, "Toyota said the move was intended to restore confidence in the automaker, and the safety of its products. One analyst said many consumers might have a different reaction." Toyota's "acknowledgement of problems with acceleration pedals reawakens one of the oldest safety issues in the auto industry. Manufacturers have long dismissed that a vehicle can race forward out of the driver's control, contending that the problem takes place when a driver mistakenly pushes the accelerator while trying to hit the brake pedal." The Wall Street Journal (1/27, Linebaugh) also reports the story.

Here's a list of the recalled models:

• 2007-2010 Camry
• 2005-2010 Avalon
• 2004-2009 Prius
• 2005-2010 Tacoma
• 2007-2010 Tundra
• 2007-2010 ES 350
• 2006-2010 IS 250 and IS350

I have blogged about Toyota recalls previously.  To read my previous posts, please select the following links:

•      Toyota, Lexus Owners Make Sudden-Acceleration Complaints
•      Deaths Lead Toyota to Recall Defective Cars
•      Toyota Will Change Accelerators to Avoid Jamming

If you own a model affected by the recall, please have your vehicle inspected.  It could be a matter of life and death.

Travel safely.

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Posted by: Salvatore J. Zambri, founding partner

It's official!  It is illegal for commercial drivers, including truck and bus drivers, to operate vehicles while text-messaging.  "In 2008, nearly 6,000 people died in accidents related to distracted drivers, and more than half-a-million were injured," according to CBSnews.com.  Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood previously announced, "We're gonna set the highest bar possible. ... Any distraction that takes two hands off the wheel and eyes off the windshield should not be allowed."  The law prohibiting text messaging by commercial drivers took effect today.  

I applaud the law, but wonder if it is enough.  The penalty for an infraction is a fine up to  $2,750.  Unfortunately, it is a law difficult to enforce, as it is hard to catch someone driving while texting.  Often, whether a driver was texting while driving is not determined until it's too late--after an automobile collision that causes serious injury or death. 

Each year I give presentations at local schools to teen drivers and their parents about the dangers of distracted driving.  One thing I preach is the need for a cultural change.  Too many parents text and use cell phones while driving.  Their children see this conduct and accept the behavior as safe.  It certainly is not.  Parents need to set better examples.  Passengers also need to take control of dangerous situations.  If you are a passenger and see the driver texting or using a cell phone demand that the driver pull over or stop engaging in distracted driving.  It is your life after all.  Don't risk it.

Travel safely.

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