A US JURY has cleared Toyota over a 2005 crash that the driver blamed on the floor mat or the electronic throttle, in the first case to go to trial since the car giant recalled millions of its vehicles over potential problems with unintended acceleration.
A jury in New York found Toyota was not liable for the floor mat or for the absence of a system that allows the brake to override the accelerator when both were pressed.
The driver, Dr Amir Sitafalwala, had argued that defects in the electronic throttle system or the floor mats caused him to suddenly accelerate and crash into a tree. US magistrate judge Thomas Boyle ruled out evidence about the car’s electronics.
The lawsuit was the first to go to trial since Toyota recalled millions of vehicles beginning in 2009. In a statement, Toyota called the verdict an “early indicator of the strength of the legal theories behind unintended acceleration claims” against the Japanese company. “We believe that this case sets an important benchmark for unintended acceleration litigation against Toyota,” the statement said.
Toyota has recalled more than 14 million vehicles globally on the back of potential issues with unintended acceleration. Some 18,130 cars were recalled in Ireland over the issue. Engineers at Toyota Ireland were also among the first to notice sporadic problems with accelerator pedals back in January 2009 and reported the issue to the company.
A major 10-month study carried out at the request of the US Congress has since reported that electronic systems were not to blame for reports of sudden unintended acceleration. An investigation by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), with assistance from NASA engineers with expertise in electronic system and software integrity, concluded that incidents of unintended sudden acceleration in Toyota vehicles were rooted in mechanical issues, such as sticking accelerator pedals and floor mats that jammed the pedals, or were caused by driver error.
Last year Toyota agreed to pay $32.4 million (€22.9 million) in civil penalties as the result of two separate investigations into its handling of recalls.
The fines – the the maximum allowable under law – were in response to the US government’s assertion that the car firm had failed to comply with requirements for reporting safety defects to NHTSA in a timely manner.
Additional reporting: Bloomberg
