Las Vegas Injury & Accident Attorney Blog

Remember the old days when you could replace a distributor cap, gap your own spark plugs, change the muffler – even fix your clutch? Today’s complicated computer-controlled modern automobiles make these and many other DIY auto repair tasks a thing of the past. Simply put, your car’s computer control system is much more complicated than even the Super Nintendo you wasted hours playing Mario Brothers on.

The computer control systems that make today’s cars impossible for DIY repair do bring significant benefits to drivers and consumers, however. It is the brains behind the anti-lock brakes that prevented you from rear ending the guy who just stopped short in front of you. It balances the air and gas mix in pistons and fuel injectors. It even controls your car’s cruise control!

While you are baffled by the computer control systems in your car, a recent study by the United States National Research Council, which is part of the National Academy of Science, showed that the National Highway and Safety Administration was ill equipped to evaluate and detect problems with many of today’s high-tech cars. One of the issues highlighted in the NRC report was the NTSHA’s inability to accurately assess the safety of complicated systems like adaptive cruise control.

As many of you may recall, last year there was significant coverage of a rash of sudden-unintended acceleration incidents by multiple Toyota makes and models. To refresh your memory, the sudden acceleration issue was seen in the Toyota Corolla, Camry, Tacoma, Avalon, Matrix and Pontiac Vibe.

Even though the NRC’s scathing report covered many of the systems associated with sudden-unintended acceleration, the NRC found no issues or faults with the NTSHA’s recent analysis of the problem plaguing Toyota Motor Company.

If you or a family member was injured or killed due to the sudden acceleration of your automobile, and would like a free legal consultation, contact Benson and Bingham Attorneys at Law today. We are one of the highest ranked personal injury law firms in Las Vegas, Nevada. Benson and Bingham develop deep and long lasting relationships with their clients, relying as much on word-of-mouth for new clients as any firm in the South Valleys. Contact us to discuss your case today!

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More than 3,000 drivers across the United States have complained to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration about episodes of sudden acceleration in Toyota vehicles. In all, nearly 100 deaths have been attributed to problems arising from sudden, uncontrolled speed thought to be related to “sticky” gas pedals, clunky floor mats, and other engineering errors that suggest significant defective product issues.

Numerous lawsuits have arisen out of this saga, many of which have been consolidated into a class-action suit in the state of California. There, a district court judge has been overseeing a massive discovery effort to assess the role corporate negligence played in this dangerous phenomenon.

One interesting development in this case is the judge’s decision to permit the plaintiffs to sue Toyota for economic loss related to the sudden-acceleration problem. These losses include both the “loss” of having overpaid for a Toyota automobile with a previously strong reputation for reliability and safety only to have the car fall victim to this widespread and serious operational issue. The flip side is that drivers now attempting to sell their vehicles face a second-hand auto market that looks upon late-model Toyota vehicles with great suspicion, deflating the resale value even of vehicles not thought to be affected by these defects.

As Nevada attorneys with a record of strong representation in Las Vegas vehicle recall cases, our lawyers are closely monitoring this case and its developments. Call us today if you are a Toyota owner in Nevada and you want more information, or if you have any other questions about a possible Las Vegas defective product lawsuit.

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