Colorado residents may be interested to hear that Toyota has been found 60 percent at fault for a 2006 fatal car crash. The man who caused the crash said that his 1996 Toyota Camry accelerated on its own and would not stop before slamming into the rear of another vehicle. As a result of the collision, the man driving the other vehicle and his 9-year-old son were killed.
A 6-year-old girl was paralyzed in the crash and later died. Due to the jury’s allocation of fault in the accident, Toyota will be ordered to pay the victim’s family $10.94 million. The man who was driving the Camry will receive $750,000. In addition to the civil trial, the driver of the Camry was charged with vehicular homicide and spent more than two years in jail.
However, he was released after questions surfaced regarding acceleration issues in other Toyota’s. In a statement, Toyota said that there was nothing wrong with the Camry and that it was not part of any recall. Instead, the company claimed that the driver’s lack of experience may have contributed to the accident. The man’s attorney said that as a result of the trial, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration may want to investigate all 1996 Camry’s.
If a defective product leads to injury or death, it may be possible to take legal action against the manufacturer of the defective product. In most cases, the manufacturer may be liable even if it did not intend for the product to be defective. Those who are seeking compensation for their injuries or for the wrongful death of a family member may wish to consult with an attorney. Doing so may increase the odds of winning a products liability case.
Source: ABC News, “Jury: Toyota Must Pay $11M to Victims of Fatal Crash,” Amy Forliti Associated Press, Feb. 3, 2015