A Californian’s claim that his Prius accelerated out of control has been challenged by Toyota.
According to a statement, the accelerator pedal in James Sikes Prius was tested and functional. James Sikes’ Prius accelerated over 94 mph before being stopped by a California Highway Patrolman, thus preventing a car accident last week. A backup system was also tested and found to be working properly. Toyota did acknowledge severe wear and damage from overheating, but the other brakes (rear and parking) were in good condition.
The Prius became the latest Toyota car to face public scrutiny last week, but Toyota is fighting James Sikes' claims of unintended acceleration and near car crash. (SOURCE: KFMB)
Our car accident lawyers know there are always two sides to every story, and this story is no different. That’s why it’s important to have an effective legal system to find the answers when there are questions to decipher.
Toyota has been facing questions about their products since the start of the year. Toyota had to issue a recall of millions of cars earlier this year because of accelerators being trapped under defective floor mats. At least 60 claims have already been filed, and a $3 billion products liability class action lawsuit in Orange County — involving 89 people — has been filed by the county District Attorney.
Toyota says the report filed by Sikes is inconsistent with what the company found in the company’s initial investigation causing suspicion in the report of the defective car. On March 15, federal regulators said they were reviewing data from the car but hadn’t found anything to explain Sikes’ car that sped out of control a week before. Regulators tried to duplicate the acceleration for two hours in a test drive but couldn’t. This doesn’t mean it didn’t happen, but it doesn’t mean that it did, too.
Regulators also said that Sikes’ Prius was equipped with a backup safety feature that reduces power to the wheels when the accelerator and brakes are pressed simultaneously. A memo written to Congress, which cites a Toyota official, states this is both an electrical and mechanical impossibility that the gas pedal was stuck to the floor and the brakes were being applied. Another report from on-board data computers in the Prius indicated Sikes applied the brakes and gas pedal alternately at least 250 times to no avail before being stopped by a CHP patrol car.
Our San Diego car accident attorneys know this case has a long way to go before any kind of resolution is made. More tests should be conducted to prove one side or the other correct in this litigation. No matter how this case turns out, it doesn’t hide the fact that Toyota has a long road ahead when it comes to regaining consumer confidence in their automobiles.
If you think that your car accident was caused by defective auto parts, please call us now at 1-800-655-6585 or click here for a FREE consultation with an experienced San Diego car accident lawyer and find out how we can help you. We speak English and Spanish, and we look forward to providing advice for your case. There is no fee if no recovery.
About Michael PinesMichael Pines is a former insurance company attorney who specializes in car accident injury. While he was an insurance attorney, he learned from behind the scenes on how insurance companies work and how they decided to pay injured people. Now that he works against insurance companies, Michael's inside knowledge has resulted in significant benefits to his clients injured in car accidents.
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