Of interest to Georgia Product Liability Lawyers, this week Toyota announced it has created a fix for defective gas pedals in millions of recalled vehicles. The replacement parts are being shipped and dealers will be extending hours to accommodate all the expected repairs.
Georgia Product Liability Update; Honda recently recalled 646,000 2008 and 2009 Fit Models (also known as City and Jazz internationally) due to a fire hazard in the window switch. The Honda recall affects 114,000 vehicles in the United States.
As part of our continued Georgia dangerous and defective products update, Chrysler Group has announced it is recalling thousands of Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep vehicles to fix a defective part linked to sudden brake failure.
Atlanta and Marietta, Georgia Personal Injury Attorneys, The Persons Firm, LLC, can now be found on Twitter and facebook.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and other organizations have been compiling Toyota unintended acceleration data for years. The following is the most up to date data I could find of reported Toyota incidents from 1999 to present:
Total Incidents – 2262
Crashes – 815
ABC news reports that Toyota has just announced a recall of an additional 2.3 million vehicles to correct sticking acceleration pedals. This announcement follows the already massive recall launched this past fall involving 4.2 million cars. Numerous deaths and injuries have been reported as a result of Toyota vehicles unexpectedly accelerating. Initially, Toyota claimed the acceleration problem was the result of defective floor mats. Toyota is now acknowledging the problem is not limited to floor mats. The newest Toyota recall is confined to the following vehicles:
• 2009-2010 RAV4,
• 2009-2010 Corolla,
Since the beginning of the year I’ve noticed an increased number of police catching speeders on the interstate and I think I know why. On January 1, Georgia’s Super Speeder law, and it’s new hefty fines, went into effect. A couple of people have asked me about the Super Speeder law this week so I thought I would explain it.
It is pretty simple really. If you are caught speeding 75 mph or more on any two lane road or 85 mph or more on the interstate you will have to pay an additional $200 fine to the State. This $200 fine will be added on top of the local fines and penalties. Getting a super speeder ticket is going to be a very expensive mistake.
According to the official press release of the Governor’s office, sixty percent of all trauma patients in Georgia are crash related and on average there is a speed related death a day in Georgia. The Governor’s office goes on to say, Super Speeder will save lives and change the behavior of speeders in Georgia. As a Marietta Injury Lawyer that has seen too many lives ruined by truck and car collisions, I hope this new law will have the desired effect. Please slow down, you will be safer, and your bank account will thank you.
Insurance companies are waging war on the American Civil Justice System. They consider the Right to Trial by Jury and the Rule of Law unnecessary speed bumps reducing insurance company profits. Insurance companies began their organized attack on the constitutional right to a trial by jury since before this Georgia Injury Lawyer started practicing law, over ten years ago. In recent years, Insurance companies in Georgia have been specifically targeting victims of medical malpractice.
Luckily, many still believe the American Civil Justice System is still the best system in the world and have taken up the fight to defend the Right to Trial by Jury. Recently, a leading civil justice blog addressed the question how many hoops should medical malpractice victims have to jump through to obtain justice? It is an excellent read.
On December 24, 2009 a black Honda struck and overturned a bus carrying developmentally disabled adults. All 13 passengers and the driver of the bus were injured. At least two of the passengers were ejected and all were taken to Atlanta area hospital. According to news reports, the driver of the black Honda was seen driving erratically before the collision and left the scene of the accident before the police arrived.
As an Atlanta Injury Lawyer that often represents DUI victims, I pay attention to news reports of collisions caused by drunk drivers. However, this story was particularly disturbing when I read about the bus passengers. The passengers were members of a group called Just People that provide support for adults with developmental disabilities. The group was on their way to an art class when the horrible collision occured. It just boggles the mind that someone could cause that kind of carnage on the interstate and then leave the scene. I was pleased to read in a follow-up news report that the suspected drunk driver was located and is being held without bond with charges of Felony Hit and Run and Driving Under the Influence.
From my experience as a Marietta Injury Lawyer, collisions on the Interstates are typically the most likely to cause death and serious injury. There are a number of reasons for this including the increased speed limits and the large number of tractor trailers that use the freeways. It is extremely dangerous to stop your vehicle on the interstate, but sometimes it just can’t be avoided. There are some steps you can take to reduce this danger.
Except for emergencies, never voluntarily stop your vehicle on the interstate. However, if your car breaks down on the Interstate, get your vehicle to the right shoulder as quickly and safely as possible. If you stay in your vehicle keep your seatbelt on. If you are going to get out of the vehicle use the passenger’s door to exit the vehicle. Once out of the vehicle, do not stand near your vehicle or any travel or emergency lanes. Put some safe distance between yourself and the roadway and call 511 (HERO vehicles) and 911. However, sometimes car trouble is immediate and it is not always possible to get over to the right shoulder.
Personal injury lawyers in Atlanta and Marietta sometimes see the more difficult situation when cars break down in interstate travel lanes. This is a terrible situation. Even with the use of hazard lights, it is often difficult for drivers to appreciate a vehicle is stopped on the interstate. When cars are rear-ended at highway speeds the results are often fatal. The Georgia State Patrol and DOT officials recommend you stay in your vehicle, call 911 and 511, and wait for help to arrive. However, State Patrol officers I have talked to say they probably would not sit in a car stopped in a travel lane for fear of getting blasted by a fast moving vehicle. One must use their best judgment when confronted with this situation because leaving your vehicle to walk or run to a safe location can also be extremely dangerous.
