US files charge against Toyota, $1.2B penalty

DavinD wrote:

Here you go

From your link
"Back in August, a family of four crashed in a Lexus ES350 after the driver noticed he couldn't get the car to slow down. With a floor mat stuck underneath the accelerator pedal, the car traveled out of control, through busy intersections under its own uncontrollable power.

Traveling at a rate of over 100 MPH, the car finally came to a stop after it bounded through an intersection at a dead-end road, swiped another car, crashed through a fence, jumped over a dirt berm and landed into a riverbed below. All four people died from the injuries sustained in the crash and the ensuing fire. The driver of the other vehicle escaped with minor injuries."

From a different link:

According to the lawsuit filed by Mr Saylor's family, the Lexus accelerated on its own and hit speeds of more than 100mph before smashing through a fence and crashing.
A 911 emergency call made by Mr Lastrella after the crash blamed a stuck accelerator for the accident, according to the complaint.
Toyota said in a statement in December that a police report on the crash found 'that the cause was an incompatible all-weather floor mat from a Lexus SUV model that was installed incorrectly in the ES 350 sedan at the dealership', according to Bloomberg.
It concluded that the accelerator pedal had become trapped either in the grooves of the mat, which was larger than the correct model for the car, or underneath it.

The report also found that clips used to hold it in place were not fitted, possibly allowing it to slip forwards.
A statement from Toyota said: 'We're pleased the court has affirmed the private, amicable settlement that Toyota and the Saylor and Lastrella families reached in good faith through mutual respect and cooperation.'

Bob Baker Lexus, the San Diego dealership which had loaned the Lexus ES350, had objected to the settlement because it still faces negligence claims.
Larry Willis, representing Bob Baker Lexus, told Bloomberg that a subsequent investigation revealed the accident may have been caused by an electrical fault.
LINK

Point one, this car was driven by a CHP Officer, are they really trying to say a trained CHP Officer could not figure out how to dislodge a stuck floor mat? No really come on.

Point two, From the picture of the car it was totally burned with the whole interior burned out. So just how did they determine the floor mat or mats were the cause of the uncontrolled acceleration? Again this crash was one with a highly trained CHP Officer behind the wheel. All police officers are trained in high speed driving and crash avoidance. They are trained to stay calm under pressure! I will say this again, do you truly think if the floor mat was stuck under the peddle this guy would not reach down and yank it backwards? Not likely.

Last point, this vehicle was a loaner car from a Lexus Dealership and was loaned out days before. The car was reported to have had a uncontrolled acceleration. The driver reported this to the dealership. But the person did not say the mat or mats were stuck under the peddle.

What I would like to see is the actual police report not a reporters story.

BTW I have no vendetta against Toyota, but there are way to many bodies here to think there was not a problem. And yes I do agree that some cases were faked to try and make an easy payday. That is the sick and sad part.

Don