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Toyota Recall Class Action Lawsuit News:
Toyota Units Sued for Racketeering Over Acceleration
-Bloomberg
02/12/2010 - Four Toyota Motor Corp. units were named in a racketeering lawsuit that claims the companies collaborated to sell cars they knew were unsafe.
The defendants include Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc., as well as units that produce Toyota’s Camry and Avalon models and handle leasing and engineering, according to a complaint filed Feb. 8 in federal court in Covington, Kentucky.
“They’ve taken innocent dealers and made them partners” in an illegal enterprise, lawyer Stan Chesley, whose Cincinnati firm filed the complaint, said today in a telephone interview.
The 10 individual plaintiffs seek class-action, or group, status to seek damages on behalf of U.S. buyers of Toyota-built cars with defects that could cause unwanted sudden acceleration. Toyota, the world’s largest automaker, is trying to recover from a global recall of 8 million vehicles and suspension of sales of eight models in the U.S., including the top-selling Camry.
At least 50 class-action lawsuits arising from sudden acceleration problems have been filed against Toyota or its subsidiaries. At least 16 additional suits have been filed by individuals claiming they were injured when defective parts in the cars failed.
Sona Iliffe-Moon, a spokeswoman for Toyota Motor Sales USA, said today in a telephone interview that the company doesn’t discuss pending its litigation with the press.
‘21st-Century Pinto’
“This is the 21st-century Pinto,” Chesley said, referring to the Ford Motor Co. model made in the 1970s that sometimes burst into flames in rear-end collisions.
Toyota warned U.S. dealers in September to inspect the installation of floor mats in certain models after an accident in which a mat was suspected of causing a motorist’s accelerator to jam, killing that driver and three of his family members.
On Sept. 29, the carmaker announced it was recalling 3.8 million vehicles, citing a defect in the Camry and in certain models of its luxury Lexus line that may cause accelerator pedals to jam.
That recall was followed by others, including one on Jan. 21, where the company announced it needed to fix sticking pedals on 2.3 million cars. Five days later it suspended production and U.S. sales of eight models using that same component.
Toyota Motor Corp. President Akio Toyoda, in a Feb. 5 statement, apologized for the recalls and said the company would set up a committee on quality control.
The racketeering count alleges that the car company’s units, as an organized enterprise, engaged in “a scheme to sell defective and dangerous vehicles.” The complaint also accuses the divisions of fraud, breach of warranty and negligence.
Toyota, based in Toyota City, Japan, surpassed the former General Motors Corp. as the world’s largest automaker by sales in 2008 and held the title last year, outselling Volkswagen AG by about 1.5 million vehicles.
The case is Viviano v. Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing North America Inc., 2:10-cv-00024, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Kentucky ( Covington).
Toyota Class Action Lawsuit Information:
If you or a loved one have been injured or suffered a loss due to a jammed accelerator pedal or a recalled Toyota floor mat you may be entitled to compensation. Contact the Toyota-Lexus Recall Lawyers of Ennis & Ennis, P.A. for a free case evaluation by filling out the form on this page or calling toll-free: 1-800-856-6405. Our experienced attorneys can answer any questions you may have about the Toyota Floor Mat Recall or Toyota Lawsuit.
