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| Toyota wins first US jury verdict over acceleration |
| 2011-04-03 |
| [Arab News] Toyota Motor is not responsible for causing a New York doctor's 2005 Scion to accelerate unexpectedly and smash into a tree, a federal jury ruled. The court verdict in Long Island, New York is the first by a US jury concerning sudden acceleration by Toyota vehicles since the world's largest automaker began in 2009 recalling millions of vehicles over related defects. Jurors in Central Islip, New York deliberated for less than two hours in the case brought by Amir Sitafalwalla, an emergency room trauma doctor who works in Brooklyn. The plaintiff had argued that the accident was caused by design defects in his Scion TC's floor mats or its electronic throttle control system. He also said Toyota failed to install a brake override system that could have prevented the crash. Toyota countered that Sitafalwalla caused the crash by stepping on the accelerator pedal rather than the brake. US Magistrate Judge E. Thomas Boyle refused to admit evidence on the electronic system at the trial, which began on Monday. "I thought that we put on a pretty good case, and had a fair shot at persuading the jury," Albert Zafonte, one of Sitafalwalla's lawyers, said. "I'm just disappointed they found against us." |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #5 When my Mother was 72 she was still driving. One day she started up the Ford and instead of putting it in reverse she selected drive. She drove wildly around the house bouncing off trees and other things. She claimed she was pushing the break pedal as hard as she could but it kept accelerating. Methinks this is what happens with most cars. |
| Posted by: Deacon Blues 2011-04-03 15:15 |
| #4 I always thought these claims were bogus. Might have had something to do with all of the Toyota manufacturing plants being non-union. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2011-04-03 14:34 |
| #3 Had the plaintiff been a welfare queen rather than a doctor the verdict almost certainly would have been different. |
| Posted by: AzCat 2011-04-03 11:53 |
| #2 "I thought that we put on a pretty good case, and had a fair shot at FIFY |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2011-04-03 08:34 |
| #1 One of this Spring's green shoots of sanity. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2011-04-03 07:48 |