Toyota gets more negative attention with new wrongful death case

It is a situation that no one would ever want to face; yet, it is also a situation that sounds familiar now. The ideas of sudden acceleration or faulty brakes might bring to mind the years-long cases against Toyota. The company's legal issues might not be over, as a California family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit related to the car manufacturer.

Early last month, officials searched the Sacramento River and found a Toyota Camry with its deceased driver inside. Further investigation into the matter indicated that the woman inside the car had made an emergency 911 call earlier. The call suggested that it might have been a product liability issue that resulted in the tragic incident.

Authorities uncovered the 911 records in which the victim was telling the dispatcher that she could not stop her vehicle, had crashed into the river and was unable to get out. She never did get out and died in the car. Her surviving family blames the death of their loved one on Toyota. Among the allegations are the following and more:

• Toyota hid that there were acceleration problems with its vehicles.
• Toyota was negligent in supposedly fixing the defect of its vehicles.

The family's accusations against the popular auto manufacturer include wrongful death, fraud, product liability and more. Exactly what the plaintiffs want in damages is undisclosed. If in moving forward this case proves to have merit, it wouldn't be surprising for the parties to try to settle the matter outside of court. Doing so can speed up the legal process and is also a way for Toyota to keep its name out of the limelight for too long.

Of course, an experience wrongful death attorney should help guide any decisions that plaintiffs would make in regards to the progress of their case.

We will post an update if there's a development in this civil case.

Source: News 10 ABC, "Toyota named in local car in river wrongful death suit," C. Johnson, April 22, 2013