While there are many forms of transportation residents of New York City used each day, motor vehicles commonly pack the city’s streets. Because of the reliance in society on this mode of transportation it is important that automobiles work as intended. Because there are so many components that make up a car, issues sometimes arise. It is possible those issues could lead to car accidents.
Readers may remember, or have been personally impacted by, problems with certain cars made by Toyota. Several years ago the carmaker was slow to admit that there were issues with accelerator pedals that were “sticky” and issues with floor mats that sometimes led to the vehicles suddenly accelerating. The unexpected acceleration could result in motor vehicle accidents.
Now, several years after failing to inform owners of Toyota automobiles and in some cases even misleading them, the carmaker has resolved the criminal case against it. In doing so, it agreed to pay a fine of $1.2 billion. The fine is largest an automaker has faced. This is presumably meant to serve as a deterrent against similar behavior in the future.
When a product defect results in injury or death to its user, the injured party or, when the defect leads to death, his or her loved ones may decide to take legal action of their own. This would be accomplished via a products liability lawsuit. Because these cases are often complex most find it best to work with a lawyer who has a background in handling such cases.
Source: Forbes, “Toyota Admits Misleading Customers; Agrees To $1.2 Billion Criminal Fine,” Joann Muller, March 19, 2014