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© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.$20 mil Toyota wrongful-death lawsuit begins in U.S.
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No Miso
Yep, it is truly amazing how people can conjure these stories and craft them in a way that it makes it difficult to defend in court, hence the cheapest option is a settlement like this. The only thing worse than the creators this junk, is the legal environment that allows it to happen. But then again, lawyers have to get rich somehow, right? Or did you actually believe this was about safety??
technosphere
Because outside the USA people around the Globe have decent driving skills and driving experience.
Do not blame Toyota for your bad driving skills. Learn to drive. Hire a good driving instructor for your safety in all road conditions. Plain and simple. "Bad dancer always blames his balls for his poor dancing skills". A proverb.
sfjp330
badsey3 Aug. 10, 2013 - 07:18AM JST Just follow the money. In the end Toyota owners that sell or sold their cars lost thousands of dollars each. And Toyota still is getting blamed for a problem that most likely doesn't exist.
Then let me ask you this question: How would you stop this Lexus ES350 during the sudden accelation? The wrong floor mat caused sudden accelation in San Diego case. In that vehicle, in order to shut this Lexus engine off, you have to push the button for three seconds straight while the car is going full blast (which amount to distance of over 500-600 feet). Did the driver of the rented Lexus knew ahead that in order to shut the engine off, you to push red button for three seconds? Of course not. If you try to put in neutral on this gate automatic transmission, you cannot shift to neutal while running. it's locked. If you applied the brakes, it will eventually heat up so much to the point where brake does not work. What would you have done? More you look at this Lexus ES350, Toyota engineers designed this car very poorly with no safety in mind.
badsey3
http://www.toyotaelsettlement.com/Home/FAQ#8d
==> Just follow the money. In the end Toyota owners that sell or sold their cars lost thousands of dollars each. And Toyota still is getting blamed for a problem that most likely doesn't exist.
sfjp330
badsey3 Aug. 10, 2013 - 05:46AM JST Accidents happen and Toyota is not at fault here. Shameful money-grubbers. This is something personal car insurance should cover.
Sure, there are individual cases pending, but why would Toyota settled the lawsuit for $1.1 Billion? Because Toyota could afforded it and simply cut its legal bills by settling the lawsuit? Or were there significant damaging evidence that Toyota did not want to disclose? By settling the lawsuit, the U.S. Court never gets to hear the evidence. Only by going to trial, which will now never occur, does a court opinion get stated. By settling the lawsuit, Toyota never lied, never was negligent, and never was malfeasant in dealing with its customers? By settling the lawsuit, Toyota will never be sued again for this problem?
jeff198527
Because people can't drive and are looking for an easy buck Toyota has to pay out.
badsey3
Accidents happen and Toyota is not at fault here. Shameful money-grubbers. This is something personal car insurance should cover.
http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Toyota-Sudden-Acceleration-Case-Set-Begin-California-216422781.html ==>Note: Media does not mention her car getting hit before accelerator got wedged down.
No Miso
Is this the case where the woman concerned offered as evidence, a doctors report stating that ligament damage in her foot was consistent with someone pressing the brake pedal with extreme force? If so, what damage would have been done to the same foot if she pressed (by mistake) the accelerator pedal? Different injury?
kiyoshiMukai
Maybe those people had burned their brakes before that.
Kent Mcgraw
I miss my 1967 Mustang with no computer and even my 1970 GTO no computers no problems. Just had to know how to change the plugs and set the points. If you are going to computerize cars make sure there is a manual over-ride system in place. Preferably the brake.
Serrano
"The plaintiffs contend Uno died when her Toyota Camry suddenly accelerated and crashed despite her efforts to stop."
Amazing how these sudden accelerations have never occurred anywhere else but the USA.
"A lawyer suing Toyota over the death of a California woman has told a jury he will ask for $20 million in damages."
Only $20 million? Why not go for $50 million or $100 million, lol.
oldsanno
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-08-07/toyota-faces-first-trial-over-acceleration-linked-death.html
Not enough info to say definitely but it looks like she mistakenly pressed the gas after being hit by the other car.
Harshana Sj
Toyota should be held responsible for failing to apply the basic brake override(brake always has higher proirity over accel) in their software.Its time to come out in the open and admit it with real Samurai spirit...And it is pathetic how Toyot was working round the clock to fix the acceleration issue in the Emperors car while not caring a bit about the lives of ordinary Americans.
smithinjapan
Would Toyota and japan jump up and down in excitement about how they've achieved something Audi did? no? then why all the instant blame? If Toyota did something wrong I'm not sure how it stopped being wrong even IF it were based on Audi's example.
Forget the money with this sentence, put a deserving person in jail. A few million to the family of the woman now being eaten by worms thanks to Toyota won't do squat. Give that same few millions, and put whomever is responsible in jail -- you might get a bit less of a 'sumimasen, shouganai' reply.
ebisen
The drivers literally burned the brakes trying to stop the cars, but they couldn't. Don't you think this is an issue? It's easy to give advice from the armchair (btw, the Camry was an automatic, no clutch to press), but try thinking clearly when you're driving for the first time over 180 km/h on a relatively busy street.
Moderator
Readers, please keep the discussion focused on Toyota.
CrazyJoe
In the case of the Audi 5000 , the accelerator and brake pedals were located too close to each other causing driver errors. (pressing the gas instead of the brakes).
badsey3
That is what I am saying. ==> I don't believe Toyota is at fault or can fix this -besides educating drivers better. ==> I do not see this as a "tin whisker" (mechanical electronics) issue. Either way it does not matter and drivers need to learn how to put a car in neutral or use the clutch. Pure crazyness if you ask me that drivers are allowing themselves to put themselves in a out of control position.
gogogo
An example of when software errors kill
ebisen
Audi did not have the same issue. It was proven to be caused by driver misapplication of acceleration instead of a break, and a completely fabricated story by the "60 minutes" show of the unfamous CBS. Next time research before spreading rumors.
An investigation by NHTSA cleared Audi of all fault, but as a by-product, better safety mechanisms were invented (brake interlock and acceleration cutoff by brake). Toyota failed to introduce the brake cutoff even 20 years after all other major manufacturers did, therefore they are completely at fault (some of the crashed cars were found with completely burned brakes)
badsey3
but why not just put the car in neutral (Audi 1980's had the same issue). ==> is this a driver issue?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sudden_unintended_acceleration
kidojapan
It is not Political. Technically it is possible to have this situation in a car that have the Adaptive cruise control when the algorithm have a glitch. It can be that a certain scenario in there was not been identified during the requirements engineering, FMEA, Functional Safety Test. I think there is a break override safety system because this is easily can tested when you are buying the car, the car dealer would demonstrate it and the buyer would test it...it is actually the features that normally makes the buyer buy the car.... but maybe not in all scenarios.
badsey3
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/550x412x52166200-550x412.jpg.pagespeed.ic.sNCCbPUJSX.jpg
This is a horrible case and it seems they are using a (US) Japanese person to set precedent against a Japanese company. Much like the Boeing "DreamLiner" -I hope they find absolution and solution to these incidents.
http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2010-02/toyota-deaths_52461517.jpg