Toyota Motor Corporation has faced scrutiny for months over its less than forthright decision making when it comes to publicizing vehicle defects. According to the Los Angeles Times, Toyota is now being accused of delaying a product recall involving its Venza vehicles. Reportedly, Toyota recalled the Venza in Canada last December, citing faulty floor mats that could become entrapped as a potential safety hazard. However, Toyota failed to issue the same product recall in the United States until six weeks after the Canadian recall. This prompted some federal regulators to further question Toyota’s accountability in knowing that its vehicles posed a potential risk to consumers.
After failing to recall more than 2 million vehicles due to unintended acceleration issues, federal regulators recently fined Toyota a record $16.4 million. Auto manufacturers have an obligation to thoroughly test automobiles, ensuring that consumers are not placed in harm’s way while operating them. In the event that a defect is discovered, the auto manufacturer must promptly notify consumers of the defect, particularly since failure to do so could lead to personal injury. A failure to notify consumers of any problems associated with their vehicles can be considered negligence, and as such, auto manufactures that have been negligent may be held liable in a court of law.
While we can assume that risk comes along with operating any motor vehicle, particularly since vehicles are only as safe as the motorists who operate them, consumers should not have to worry about auto manufacturers failing to take the necessary safety measures needed to ensure that their vehicles are safe to drive. While further investigation takes place into whether or not Toyota acted negligently in warning motorists of vehicle defect issues, only time will tell how many motorists are injured as the result of the unintended acceleration issues in Toyota vehicles.
At Maples Law Firm, our Oklahoma dangerous products attorneys represent individuals injured in Oklahoma auto accidents that result from defective auto parts as well as other instances of defective consumer products causing injury. If you’ve recently sustained injury from a product that you believe is flawed, please contact us today at (405) 705-5050 for more information and a free evaluation of your products liability case.
