During the announcement of the record fine, Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood claimed that his department had documentation that indicated that the company knew about the sticking accelerator problems late in September 2009, but did not issue a recall to remedy the problem until January 2010. The sticking accelerator recall affects 2.3 million Toyota cars, trucks and SUVs.

“We now have proof that Toyota failed to live up to its legal obligations,” LaHood said in a statement. “Worse yet, they knowingly hid a dangerous defect for months from U.S. officials and did not take action to protect millions of drivers and their families.”

Because the company allegedly knew about the safety problems and was slow to react, LaHood levied the maximum penalty allowable. The previous record fine from the Department of Transportation was issued in 2004 against General Motors for $1 million for faulty windshield wipers. Thus far, the Toyota Motor Company has been named in at least 138 potential class-action lawsuits over falling vehicle and company stock values and at least 100 personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits filed in federal courts across the country.

Under Florida law, the manufacturer and seller of a defective product is liable for any loss, injury or damage caused by the normal use of the defective product. Florida Toyota recall accident lawyer James O. Cunningham has been helping clients and families in product liability cases since 1977. He has the experience and resources to handle large cases like this, and he has earned the reputation of a tireless defender of his clients’ rights and someone who works hard to help each client receive the maximum compensation. If you have been injured or someone you care for has been injured or died due to a defective Toyota vehicle, contact Florida Toyota recall accident attorney James O. Cunningham today.

Resource Link: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_TOYOTA_RECALL?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2010-04-05-15-59-53

Over the past months, Toyota has had to recall the better part of its product line for issues involving sudden or unintended acceleration reported by drivers. The total recall number now stands at more than eight million vehicles.

After responding to allegations by government and consumer groups about possible misconduct and beginning to fix many of the recalled vehicles in the North American market, Toyota leaders say that a recent move to offer financial incentives has paid off. Toyota executives report an increase of over 30% in sales for the month of March. The same month has seen the company’s stock price rise by about 5%.

One of the bestsellers, according to Toyota, is the Rav4, a small-sized SUV vehicle. Sales of the vehicle more than tripled from February to March, and some experts see this as a sign of a financial thaw for the giant auto company.

Even as Toyota begins to pull out of their sales slump, drivers are still looking at the risks of owning a recalled vehicle and asking if their Toyota cars and trucks are safe for the road. Much of the controversy over the recall involves questions about electronic throttle systems that some believe may play a role in the acceleration problems reported. Toyota had claimed that the acceleration issues were related to floor mats and sticky gas pedals and not to electronics, but later, executives admitted that they had not ruled out other causes. Toyota has now fixed a major portion of the recalled vehicles with new floor mats and reinforced gas pedals, but there is still a lot of interest in investigating the “how’s and why’s” of the safety problems that initiated the massive recall. It is now expected that government groups including NASA will look into the issue on behalf of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the American public.

Experienced Toyota Recall Injury Attorney

The Toyota recall has involved several dozen fatalities and many more injuries on the road. If you or someone in your family has experienced an injury in an accident involving a recalled Toyota, the law offices of James O. Cunningham, an experienced Toyota auto recall accident lawyer, can help. Our professional staff has knowledge of how to build a Toyota personal injury case. Call locally at 407-425-2000 or toll free at 888-425-2004 and get the help you need to go up against the auto maker when safety defects have caused harm to your household.

The company’s recalled accelerators have been linked to at least 19 deaths in the U.S. and an unknown number of injuries. More than eight million Toyota cars, trucks, SUVs, and crossovers have been recalled in the U.S. in the last four months. It is not yet known how many European and Chinese Toyotas will be affected by the recall but some industry analysts put the number over two million. In the U.S., the Toyota recall has affected the following models and model years so far:

• 2009-2010 RAV4 models
• 2005-2010 Avalon models
• 2009-2010 Corolla models
• 2009-2010 Matrix models
• 2010 Highlander models
• 2007-2010 Tundra models
• 2008-2010 Sequoia models
• Some 2007-2010 Camry models

Toyota began hearing about accelerators becoming stuck in their vehicles a few years ago and initially thought that the problems were caused by floor mats bunching up behind the gas pedal, preventing the pedal from responding properly. The company advised Toyota owners to remove their floors mats to correct the problem. But the stuck accelerator problems continued, compelling the automaker to look for the source of the problem. They found that the gas pedal mechanism was the reason and subsequently issued a recall for some models, followed by more recalls for other models and model years.

Have you or someone you care for been hurt or killed in an auto accident caused by a stuck accelerator in a Toyota vehicle? Orlando Toyota recall injury attorney James O. Cunningham may be able to help you receive the compensation you deserve to help with medical bills and other accident-related expenses. Florida Toyota recall lawyer James O. Cunningham has been helping families since 1977 and has the experience and resources to handle large product liability cases such as this one. Ho offers free consultations and believes very strongly in giving each client and their case the individual attention they deserve. Call Orlando Toyota recall injury lawyer James O. Cunningham today to schedule your consultation.