Toyota Settles Initial Unintended Acceleration Lawsuit
Toyota has settled the lawsuit that acted as the thin end of the wedge that opened up one of the largest vehicle recalls in industry history. In August of 2009, a California Highway Patrol Officer named Mark Saylor was driving a 2009 Lexus ES 350 sedan - a loaner provided by a Lexus dealership - when the vehicle accelerated out of control, eventually crashing and killing not only Saylor, but all three of his passengers including his wife, his wife's brother, and his daughter.
The officer's 911 call revealed that he was incapable of slowing the automobile, and Toyota soon found itself on the defensive as other reports of what eventually came to be termed 'unintended acceleration' came in from around the country. Toyota would go on to recall 3.8 million automobiles in order to repair an issue with floor mats that were capable of interfering with the accelerator and pinning it down. The Japanese brand also found itself at the focus of a media whirlwind that would see millions of other vehicles recalled for additional accelerator problems and the integrity of its electronic control systems and the safety of every single one of its automobiles called into question. The total number of vehicles affected by Toyota's unintended acceleration problem reached close to 8 million, and the automaker was forced to pay the single largest fine ever levied against a manufacturer by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Relatives of Saylor had launched a lawsuit against the company, seeking compensation for his death and the deaths of his passengers. Toyota elected to settle the lawsuit rather than go to trial, and although the terms of the settlement are confidential the Lexus dealership that provided Saylor with the automobile - Bob Baker Lexus - is known to not be included in it. This has left not only that particular dealership potentially on the hook for damages associated with the incident, but it also sets a precedent for other Toyota dealers and Lexus dealers, which are currently or may be targeted by lawsuits in the future. Without Toyota's support, any legal fees or judgments could seriously imperil the solvency of individual dealers. Counsel for Bob Baker Lexus, Larry Willis, was scathing in his indictment of Toyota's perceived abandonment of his client in comments published by the Los Angeles Times this week.
While Toyota may have resolved this particular lawsuit, it still faces a significant legal challenge in the form of a class action lawsuit filed in the state of California, as well as a large number of other individual cases pending against it across the country. The Japanese brand has filed a motion to fend off additional class-action participants, based on the fact that so far no link has been made between its electronic systems and incidents involving unintended acceleration. So far, the outcome of that particular strategy remains up in the air, and it will likely take years for the legal dust to settle around this enormous battle between the world's largest car company and its many affected customers.