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

Posted by Salvatore J. Zambri, founding partner

Toyota's woes continue.  The Washington Post (7/30, Cha) reports that Toyota announced yesterday the recall of "412,000 Avalons and Lexuses for steering problems, bringing the number of cars recalled around the world since October to nearly 9 million. The 373,000 recalled Avalons, dating from between 2000 and 2004, have improperly cast steering lock bars that appear to have been a factor in three accidents reported to the company. This problem can cause what Toyota described as a 'minute' crack to develop on the surface. The crack, in turn, can break the bar and lock the steering wheel, increasing the risk of a crash." A smaller number of Lexus models "have a different steering shaft problem and no injuries have been reported related to this issue, Toyota said."

Bloomberg News (7/30, Ohnsman, Kitamura) adds, "Toyota also said it will recall 80,000 Land Cruisers for another problem involving steering shafts. The world's largest automaker is working to improve quality following global recalls of more than 8 million cars and light trucks for defects linked to unintended acceleration," noting that the crisis resulted in a $16.4 million fine and pending auto safety legislation.

The Los Angeles Times (7/30, Hirsch, Times) adds that the "latest recalls bring the number of vehicles Toyota has recalled in the last year to about 9 million worldwide. That's almost as many vehicles as were sold by all manufacturers in the US last year. ... Toyota faces hundreds of lawsuits arising from its problems with sudden acceleration and sticking gas pedals and has been the target of intense scrutiny by federal safety regulators and Congress."

As an attorney who represents many people who have been injured as a result of defective vehicles, I will keep a close eye on these issues.  In the meantime, if you own an Avalon or Lexus, I encourage you to immediately contact Toyota about potential defects.

Be safe.

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About the author:

Mr. Zambri is a board-certified civil trial attorney by the National Board of Trial Advocates and a Past-President of the Trial Lawyers Association of Metropolitan Washington, D.C. He has been rated by Washingtonian magazine as a "Big Gun" and among the "top 1%" of all lawyers in the Washington metropolitan area. The magazine also describes him as "one of Washington's best--most honest and effective lawyers" who specializes in personal injury matters, including automobile accident claims, premises liability, product liability, medical malpractice, and work-accident claims. He has successfully litigated multiple cases against truck and bus companies, the Washington Metropolitan Area transit Authority, and other automobile owners.  His law firm, in fact, has obtained the largest settlement ever in a personal injury case involving WMATA.  Mr. Zambri has also been named a "Super Lawyer" by Super Lawyer magazine (March/April 2010)--a national publication that honors the top lawyers in America.

If you have any questions about your legal rights, please email Mr. Zambri at szambri@reganfirm.com or call him at 202-822-1899.

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Posted by Salvatore J. Zambri, founding partner

The New York Times (7/25) editorializes, "All automakers in the United States are required to report flaws in their vehicles to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration within five business days of detection," but Toyota "has repeatedly failed to report potentially deadly problems. The latest omission to be brought to light -- and not by the automaker -- regards problems with steering wheel relay rods, which transmit changes in direction from the steering gearbox to the wheels. ... Toyota has a lot to explain about why it delayed informing American regulators about the faulty rods - and why it told the N.H.T.S.A. it had received no complaints in the United States."

As time passes, it becomes more and more clear that Toyota hid the truth to avoid accountability and pad their profits. Regrettably, such greedy conduct has caused many people to suffer serious injuries. Let's hope these revelations cause auto-makers to reevaluate how they do business. Safety first.

Do you have any questions about this post?

About the author:

Mr. Zambri is a board-certified civil trial attorney by the National Board of Trial Advocates and a Past-President of the Trial Lawyers Association of Metropolitan Washington, D.C. He has been rated by Washingtonian magazine as a "Big Gun" and among the "top 1%" of all lawyers in the Washington metropolitan area. The magazine also describes him as "one of Washington's best--most honest and effective lawyers" who specializes in personal injury matters, including automobile accident claims, premises liability, product liability, medical malpractice, and work-accident claims. He has successfully litigated multiple cases against truck and bus companies, the Washington Metropolitan Area transit Authority, and other automobile owners.  His law firm, in fact, has obtained the largest settlement ever in a personal injury case involving WMATA.  Mr. Zambri has also been named a "Super Lawyer" by Super Lawyer magazine (March/April 2010)--a national publication that honors the top lawyers in America.

If you have any questions about your legal rights, please email Mr. Zambri at szambri@reganfirm.com or call him at 202-822-1899.

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Posted by: Salvatore J. Zambri, founding partner

The Los Angeles Times reports that House Energy and Commerce Chairman Henry Waxman, speaking at his committee's hearing into the cause of Toyota's sudden acceleration crisis, said that the automaker "still had not done the testing required to determine the cause...and had been more concerned about its image than addressing the issue."  This remark was in response to Toyota's statement that it was confident electronics were not causing sudden acceleration.  Waxman, however, "said that his panel's investigation had raised serious questions about the scope of Toyota's efforts" to root out an electronic fault.

According to the report, Waxman stated, "Toyota has repeatedly told the public that it has conducted extensive testing of its vehicles for electronic defects. We can find no basis for these assertions." The Washington Post notes that Toyota has "assured worried customers and Congress that it was conducting an independent investigation," but yesterday, "congressional investigators said the company that Toyota has hired to do the review, Exponent, had offered no written plan for the project or any written specifications for the experiments it intends to run." The Post reports that Waxman called the investigation "deeply troubling," and rejected Exponent's explanation of a lack of a written plan "preposterous."

I hope Toyota and its agents are genuinely interested in determining all potential defects.  If their principal focus is avoid accountability, then consumers will be endangered more.  I'll keep a close eye on the hearings as they continue.

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Posted by: Salvatore J. Zambri, founding partner 

                                 CONTACT US                                                                                                           
The Washington Post reports that the Department of Transportation (DOT) has designated nine NASA experts to help solve the "scientific mystery" surrounding unintended acceleration in Toyotas. Moreover, "a separate panel from the National Academy of Sciences" will investigate unintended acceleration and on-board electronics "across the industry." The Post notes the lack of consensus among automotive experts over whether there could be an electronic fault causing unintended acceleration in Toyotas.

"The increasing complexity of engines, which run on multiple microprocessors and lots of software, has complicated the discussion." The Post adds that DOT is expected to announce today that its Inspector General "has been asked to review whether federal safety regulators at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have the personnel to adequately handle the complex engineering questions that arise in such investigations."

The Los Angeles Times also covers this story, noting that the "two investigations follow pressure from Congress on federal safety regulators to address persistent questions about the causes of unintended acceleration, and whether the problems stem from faulty computer-controlled electronic throttle systems."

These developments make clear how extensive and complex the problems are, and further cast doubt on the ability of federal agencies to handle investigations on their own.  This is yet more evidence as to why it is important to have access to civil courts, so that full investigations can be conducted, the truth can be revealed, and safety measures can be put in place to protect consumers from further injuries.

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Posted by: Salvatore J. Zambri, founding partner

CONTACT US      

The New York Times reports that Toyota has announced that its dealerships will "provide replacement accelerator pedals to owners unhappy with repairs" after a series of cases of unintended acceleration in cars that have already been through the recall process. According to the report, "'Accelerator pedal replacement is based on specific customer request only,' said the memo, which was addressed to dealers, service managers and parts managers. 'Dealers are not to solicit pedal replacement.'"

If you have had your vehicle "repaired" following the recall, but still experience problems with your automobile, please return it to the dealer immediately.  If you are not getting a prompt response from your local dealer, you are encouraged to contact Toyota's national customer service center at 1-800-331-4331.

Drive safely.

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Posted by: Salvatore J. Zambri, founding partner

CONTACT US      

Toyota said on Monday that the sudden-acceleration claim given by a San Diego man, who stated that his Prius hybrid car accelerated out of his control for 30 miles, was “inconsistent” with the findings of its initial examination of the car, according to the Associated Press.

The New York Times reports, "The company statement followed a similar one from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which said its investigators could not find evidence explaining the incident and that they might never know what happened."

It should be noted that the Toyota executives have not accused the man, James Sikes, "of lying or staging the incident, they did say that their examination showed that the car would have stopped when the driver firmly applied the brakes. Engineers found no evidence of friction in the accelerator pedal or that the pedal could have been pinned down by the floor mat."

The incident allegedly endured by Mr. Sikes occurred on March 8.  The following day, according to the Times report, "a woman in Harrison, N.Y., said the Prius that she was driving accelerated suddenly before it crashed into a rock wall. That driver, who was not seriously injured, was on the way to a Toyota dealership to have the vehicle inspected.

Experts have testified that it is very possible that the brake system can work normally most of the time, but falter intermittently.  Consequently, consumers and investigators are still very concerned about the Toyota vehicles.

If you have any concerns about your vehicle, please do not drive it.  Have it inspected immediately.  It could be a matter of life and death.

Drive safely.

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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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