car manufacturers

Published on: July 23, 2010

Did Toyota Try to Mislead Public with WSJ Story

Did Toyota Try to Mislead Public with WSJ Story?

The Wall Street Journal ran a story last week, citing sources “familiar with the findings” that indicated that NHTSA investigations into Toyota’sacceleration problems had found driver error had been to blame for most of the cases.According to the Wall Street Journal piece, federal data suggests that many drivers, who blamed defects in their Toyota for these accidents, possibly jammed the accelerator instead of slamming the brakes.

As expected, the Wall Street Journal article created a furor.The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has been quick to distance itself from the article.An agency representative said that the information used by the WSJ came from Toyota itself, and not from the agency.In other words, the company had planted the story in order to develop a strong case for itself against the hundreds of acceleration-related personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits it’s up against.

Published on: July 9, 2010

Is Your Rental Car Safe to Drive

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

An ABC undercover exposé reveals some shocking truths – the policies at most rental car companies are not designed to protect consumers from accidents involving recalled vehicles. Rather, these policies are aimed at getting cars out there, even if they are on the recall list.

The undercover exposé found that some of the biggest rental car companies, including Enterprise Rent a Car, Avis and Hertz don’t have firm policies in place against renting out recalled vehicles to unsuspecting consumers. Enterprise is one rental company that has been at the center of controversy over recalled vehicles. In May, the company lost a wrongful death lawsuit that had been filed against it by the parents of two sisters who were killed in an accident involving a rental car in California.

That car was a 2008 Chrysler PT Cruiser that had been recalled a few months earlier, but was rented out by Enterprise. Chrysler had linked that recall to a power steering fluid leak problem that could lead to loss of control of the vehicle. As the two sisters were traveling, the driver lost control of the car, and it burst into flames. The two women were killed instantly.

Published on: June 20, 2010

Reclining Seats Increase Risk of Injuries and Death in Auto Accident

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

It is not something that we give a second thought to while riding in someone’s vehicle. In fact, most of us have probably done it at some time or the other. We are talking about reclining the passenger seat when you’re in a moving vehicle, for some quick shut eye. However, a recent study indicates that you have an increased risk of injury in an auto accident if you seat is reclining.

Trauma care doctors at the Seattle’s Harborview Medical Center studied a pattern of injuries in passengers who were in reclining seats during an auto accident. The researchers found that no matter which part of the country these accidents occurred, passengers who were in reclined seats were much more likely to suffer head injuries, spinal cord fractures, leg injuries and severe chest trauma. In fact, the study found that when the passenger was in a partially reclined seat, his fatality risk shot up by 15%, and if he was in a fully reclined seat, his fatality risk spiked by up to 70%.

Reclining seats have long been touted by auto makers as an affordable piece of luxury. However, not many passengers are aware that their risk of death in an auto accident increases dramatically, if they’re in a reclining seat at the time of the crash. Automakers have always known about these risks. That’s why most of them mention these risks in the car’s user manual. Unfortunately these warnings, when they do appear, are always in obscure fine print, the kind that hardly anyone bothers to read. That lack of warning is very disturbing to Atlanta accident lawyers, considering the dramatically diminished odds of surviving an accident if you’re in a reclining seat.

Published on: January 9, 2010

New Accident Risks Emerge as Automakers Amp Up Technologies in Cars

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

New Accident Risks Emerge as Automakers Amp up Technologies in Cars

Getting people to switch off their cell phones while driving has been hard enough, but 2010 promises even more distractions for motorists, and greater risks of accidents. This year, automakers plan to roll out a number of cars with infotainment systems mounted on the dashboard. These systems include 10-inch plus monitors that allow users to access the internet, read restaurant reviews, look at 3-D maps, watch high definition video, and monitor fuel levels, most of this via touch screen technology.

Automakers insist that these systems are safe because the more distracting functions like internet access will not work if the car is moving. However, most of the other functions are available to use through touch screens. It’s part of a wider trend of vehicles coming equipped with all the features that we have come to accept in our smart phones. It also promises a massive headache for the Department of Transportation, and agencies around the country that are struggling to minimize cell-phone related risks. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has already made clear his displeasure at these new high-tech features, and has promised that he will discuss the issue.

Published on: September 25, 2009

Automakers Support Texting Ban in Cars

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Automakers Support Texting Ban to Minimize Risk of Car Accidents

Some of the country’s biggest automakers have announced that they support a ban on texting and the use of handheld cell phone devices while driving, to prevent the thousands of auto accidents that are caused every year by these behaviors. The announcement comes just days before a summit on distracted driving begins in Washington.

The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers which includes General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler, says that it supports a ban on texting while driving, and also supports the use of voice-activated proprietary communication systems in place of cell phone use. For instance, Ford’s Sync system allows drivers to make phone calls using voice activation systems. Sync also plays back text messages that you receive, thereby allowing you to have a conversation and “read” a text message without using your hands, or more importantly, taking your eyes off the road. General Motors has its proprietary OnStar system, which includes the Hands Free Calling feature.

Published on: May 29, 2009

Chrysler Bankruptcy Proceedings Could Leave Product Liability Lawsuits in the Cold

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Automaker Chrysler’s bankruptcy proceedings are leaving more than dealers and workers worried. There’s another class of people who have much to lose if the automaker goes under, and little attention has been paid to their plight.

We are talking about the people who have pending product liability lawsuits against the company. These people will find that their dreams of justice are shattered when the spoils are distributed. Plaintiffs who have filed product liability lawsuits against the company fall in the unsecured creditors’ group. While secured creditors include people who have collateral, unsecured creditors include plaintiffs and other corporations. These creditors are low on the pecking order when it comes to payouts. The secured creditors will get first preference, leaving the remainder of the funds to be distributed among the unsecured creditors. Corporations that are included in the unsecured creditors’ group are likely to demand priority for their funds; leaving plaintiffs with peanuts after all other debts are paid.

According to the New York Times, it’s still not clear how these pending lawsuits will be dealt with. They could be sent back to the original courts for a decision, after which the plaintiff who have won or settled may be able to go to the bankruptcy court for their money.

Published on: May 15, 2009

General Motors Announces Recall of Vehicles for Auto Defects

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

General Motors and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have announced a set of three recalls for the new Chevrolet Camaro as well as several other models of pickup trucks and sports utility vehicles, because of auto defects.

The recalls involve a total of 43,824 vehicles. The Cadillac Escalade, Chevy Avalanche, Suburban, Tahoe, Colorado, the GMC canyon and Yukon are included in the first recall of about 27,118 cars. These vehicles have a faulty seal in the fuel control system that allows water to leak through, leading to short circuits, possible engine failures or stalling of the engine. The second recall involves 15,393 Traverse SUV’s for brake system compliance failure. The third recall involves 1,243 units of the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro. The problem relates to a positive battery cable that can wear away, causing the vehicle to stall at the least, or cause an engine fire.

All three recalls have to do with serious safety problems in these vehicles. The Camaro in particular, is a highly anticipated model that seems to have already run into safety problems. There have already been at least four reports of problems with the worn out cable in these V-8 powered cars, although none of these incidents have resulted in injuries.