Sunday, April 26, 2015

Lexus ES300 sedan crashes into Cape Cod Church





Woman taken by MedFlight to Boston hospital after crash
By Haven Orecchio-Egresitz
Posted Apr. 25, 2015 at 9:06 PM
Updated at 10:21 PM


ORLEANS — A woman was taken by MedFlight helicopter to a Boston hospital Saturday after a car she was in crashed into the Orleans United Methodist Church on Main Street, according to the fire department. Her husband, who was driving the car, was taken to Cape Cod Hospital with minor injuries.

Rescuers responded to the church just after 6 p.m., according to firefighter Thomas Pellegrino.


SPECULATION BY A FIREFIGHTER? :

The couple, who are in their 80s, were traveling north on Route 28 when their vehicle allegedly ran a red light and swerved to avoid a vehicle, according to Pellegrino. The man accidentally hit the gas instead of the brake and crashed into the building, Pellegrino said.

Police would not comment on the crash as it remains under investigation.

When rescuers arrived on scene, they helped the couple out of their car. The woman has a fractured ankle and another possible injury, while her husband had minor injuries from his seatbelt, he said.

Part of the wall of the church was pushed in, but the exact damage is under investigation by the building inspector, Pellegrino said.

http://www.capecodtimes.com/article/20150425/NEWS/150429581/101015/NEWSLETTER100


Car crashes into Orleans church

Saturday, April 25, 2015

Toyota Lexus crashes through brick wall, condos


VIDEO ON LINK

Car Crashes Into Condos: ‘I Woke Up With Debris All Over Me’


AURORA, Colo. (CBS4)– A car crashed into a brick wall and then into a condominium complex in Aurora early Saturday morning, damaging three units.

“It was a loud, crashing noise that almost sounded like an explosion,” said resident Jennifer Halpin.
A car smashed through a brick wall and into a condo complex in Aurora on Saturday (credit: CBS)
A car smashed through a brick wall and into a condo complex in Aurora on Saturday (credit: CBS)

Police rushed to 14242 E. Radcliffe Place just after 4 p.m. Saturday where a Lexus crashed into one condo unit and then completely went into another unit, damaging three units in all.

“I woke up with debris all over me,” said Halpin.

Halpin said the car narrowly missed her as it broke through her living room wall.

“I was sleeping on my couch in my living room and all I know is a car came crashing in,” said Halpin.
 Firefighters extracted the driver from his vehicle and he was rushed to the hospital with moderate injuries. He has been identified as a 28-year-old male from Aurora.
(credit: CBS)
(credit: CBS)

Although people were inside the condos at the time of the crash, no one was hurt. Police and firefighters evacuated the condos while the building was inspected.

Police believe the Lexus was traveling westbound on E. Smoky Hill Road at a very high rate of speed. At E. Tufts Place the vehicle ran off the left side of the road, striking a brick wall and then the condos.

“Went through the first home and the car was sitting in the middle of the second home,” said homeowner Curt Sanders.

“Basically my house is destroyed,” said Halpin.

Neighbors told CBS4 this isn’t the first time something like this has happened here.

“We’ve had a couple of people come through our wall in the last four or five years but nothing like this. It looks like a bomb went off,” said Sanders.

“I feel very lucky, actually. I feel very fortunate not to have been hurt,” said Halpin.

Alcohol and speed are factors being considered in the case.

http://denver.cbslocal.com/2015/04/25/car-crashes-into-brick-wall-condos/




Toyota Prius Deli Store Crash In Northeast Philadelphia




Exclusive Video From Deli Store Crash In Northeast Philadelphia

Jan Carabeo has the video you will only see on Eyewitness News
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

What kind of lawyer do I need to sue Toyota?






Personal injury Injury from defective and dangerous products Types of personal injuries Personal injury and car accidents

Cruise control would not disengage resulting in accident causing personal injuries.



James Andrew Robson

This would fall under product liability law. The most important thing to do is to make sure the vehicle is preserved and not modified, altered, or destroyed (beyond what happened in the wreck). These cases are extremely costly, so unless you have very serious injuries, it will be difficult to find a lawyer.



You might consider a personal injury attorney. Hopefully one with experience in complex litigation, including products liability. Use this website's find a lawyer feature to find an attorney to consult. Your attorney should be able to investigate your case, give you advice on how to proceed, and possibly make claims on your behalf.



Most personal injury lawyers can handle this claim for you. Call around, consultations are free and we are paid on a contingency fee meaning no up front costs to you and we are not paid until and unless you recover a settlement or judgment. These cases are sometimes a little more complicated and may require the hiring of expert witness mechanics or other experts to prove causation and failure of the vehicle. As such, most attorneys will take your case for 40% contingency fees. Any attorney in Washington can represent you.




http://www.avvo.com/legal-answers/what-kind-of-lawyer-do-i-need-to-sue-toyota--2156459.html



Toyota Settles Copyright Suit Over BB King Commercial





Subject: Toyota Settles Copyright Suit Over BB King Commercial


Toyota Settles Copyright Suit Over BB King Commercial
By Aebra Coe
Law360, New York (April 23, 2015, 11:52 AM ET)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Law360, New York (April 23, 2015, 11:52 AM ET) -- Toyota Motor Sales USA agreed to settle a copyright suit Thursday, just one day after it argued that a Nevada federal judge had misconstrued copyright law by failing to find that a man who wrote a book about returning a stolen guitar to B.B. King is barred from suing the automaker over a commercial with the same plot.



The plaintiff's counsel, Jeffrey L. Galliher of Dennett Winspear LLP, told Law360 the parties reached a confidential settlement Thursdaymorning.

On Wednesday, Toyota’s guns were blazing, asking U.S....




Thursday, April 16, 2015

Car Occupants Take Swim in Pool When BRAKES FAIL!



NOTICE THAT THE MAKE, MODEL & YEAR OF VEHICLE IS OMITTED.

If this had been an elderly driver, surely the age and blame would have been included.

SILENT VIDEO ON LINKS

Car Crashes Into Ross Township Swimming Pool




ROSS TOWNSHIP (KDKA) – A local woman was startled when she found a car floating in her swimming pool.

It happened when a car carrying two people crashed into the pool at a home on William Street in Ross Township.

The two people inside the car weren’t injured and were in the home’s driveway when emergency responders arrived on scene.

They said they were having trouble with the car’s brakes before it crashed.

The homeowner said it could have been worse had the weather been nicer. She said she babysits and the children are usually in the pool during the summer.

“All the sudden I heard what sounded like garbage cans being rolled down the neighbor’s yard and it was like screeching and I looked out and I didn’t see anybody and then I looked toward my pool and I saw a car in it,” said homeowner Debbie Miller.

Crews are also working to pump out the pool water so that it doesn’t flood the house.

Stay with KDKA for more information.

http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2015/04/16/car-crashes-into-familys-swimming-pool/




Car crashes into Ross Township swimming pool

UPDATED 4:15 PM EDT Apr 16, 2015


Video from Sky 4 showed a 4-door sedan laying on it's side wedged between the pool and a retaining wall. The side of the pool was knocked out from the crash.
Crews were able to remove the car. A tow truck used two cable wires to pull the car over the retaining wall onto the home's driveway. The top of the retaining wall crumbled when the car was pulled over it.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.
Police say no one is under arrest or charged as a result of this accident.
The condition of the driver is not immediately known.
 
 
 
 
 Headlights seem to be 1999 - 2005 Toyota Yaris.  
 
 
JUST MY OPINION AT THE MOMENT
 

Saturday, April 11, 2015

TOYOTA plunges into water




Firefighters remove a lifeless body from the water after a car went into the water at the San Pedro Slip, in San Pedro, Calif., Thursday, April 9, 2015. (Steve McCrank, Daily Breeze)


Divers emerge from the water as debris believed to be from the car floats to the surface where a car went off the berth and into the water at the San Pedro Slip. (Steve McCrank, Daily Breeze)



Los Angeles: Boy dead, brother in critical condition after parents' car plunges into harbor at Ports O' Call
LOS ANGELES -- One boy died and his brother was clinging to life Thursday after their parents' car plunged into Los Angeles Harbor and sank 30 feet into the murky water.







"They forced open the trunk of the vehicle," Humphrey said. "They could barely see their hands in front of their faces."

The adults, who were speaking Spanish to rescuers, were reported to be in fair condition, Humphrey said.

The mother stood on the dock as firefighters rolled one of the boys on a stretcher toward an ambulance.

"She was blank," Palazzolo said. "She wasn't saying anything. She was just leaning up against the pole."

Aerial shots from a television helicopter showed paramedics performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation on one of the children when they arrived at County Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.

Los Angeles Police Department South Traffic Bureau detectives responded to investigate the crash.

Preliminarily, Humphrey said, it appeared to be just a terrible accident, but Los Angeles police Capt. Brian Whitten said later, "We don't know if the vehicle was driven into the water intentionally."

Witness Sal Terzoli of San Pedro said he was working on his fishing boat Ocean Pride when he heard tires screeching. He looked across and saw the Toyota traveling 20-30 mph crash into the water
Terzoli said it took just a few seconds for the car to sink.

Palazzolo, who was with Terzoli, estimated the car was moving at 15 mph at a 45-degree angle to the channel, as if the driver was going to park.

"It looks like they sped up ... and went down real quick, about 30 feet out," he said. "They were going pretty fast."

He suggested the driver mistook the gas pedal for the brake. "That's what it looked like, because they had some speed," the teen said.

The witnesses said the car went over the dock at an area without log pilings sticking up to block its path. The area is designated for fishermen to fix their nets.

"I've been down here for 25 years and this is the first time I've seen something like this," Terzoli said.

"It was like a movie."







Toyota is #1 in cases of sudden unintended acceleration and FORD is #2. The current unintended acceleration plaguing newer vehicles is the electronically-induced type. The engine throttle control systems depend on computer software to command them. Sometimes glitches occur...like in some of your other electronic devices...which can cause the command to be different than what you desire.

The evidence of the glitch is often undetectable after the vehicle is restarted. Unfortunately, the EDR (black box) is not always accurate as shown by expert Dr. Antony Anderson in his analysis of a 2012 Toyota Highlander. The EDR results indicated the driver was not braking when she was doing so. The EDR results are inconsistent.

The key to avoiding a horrific crash during a SUA event is whether or not the vehicle has an effective fail-safe in the event a glitch occurs. If it does not, as in the case of the glitch-prone Toyota ETCS-i, then the vehicle may become a runaway with an ineffective means to stop it. Unfortunately, the safety standards aren't as strict in automobiles as they are in airplanes. Some manufacturers have more effective fail-safes than others. In the case of Toyota, an embedded software expert, Michael Barr (see Oklahoma Bookout vs. Toyota court case involving a 2005 Camry) found that an electronic glitch could induce a SUA event. Another expert, Dr. Henning Leidecker, found that a SUA event could also be triggered by "tin whisker" formation, particularly in 2002-2006 Toyota Camry vehicles.

SUA events have been DEADLY for vehicle occupants as well as pedestrians and people in storefronts, buildings, and even homes. The numbers of such crashes are ever-increasing with the advent of the very complex ELECTRONIC throttle control systems.

With the increase in such serious vehicle crashes, there is a concerted effort to show driver "pedal misapplication" or a "medical condition" or some other reason for the incident...anything other than a vehicle defect. Investigators aren't scrutinizing the buggy electronic throttle control software or other conditions that can elicit a terrifying sudden unintended acceleration incident. They usually just examine the *mechanical* causes which tend to be just red herrings in these cases. Investigators simply don't have the expertise to find such electronic glitches. In fact, the staff at the NHTSA, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, do not have this very specialized training!

Think of it...the next step in electronically-controlled vehicles seems to be so-called "self-driving cars." Do YOU want to be in a such a vehicle when there is no evidence that strict safety standards, particularly in the throttle control system's software, have been adhered to? Will you just BLINDLY trust the automaker (criminally-investigated and nearly-prosecuted Toyota and soon-to-be GM and others?) to come through for you and your family's safety *on its own*?

A recently published Huffington Post article by Jonathan Handel,
How Do We Know Driverless Cars Are Safe? Google Says 'Trust Us'

Posted: 07/01/2014 7:23 pm EDT Updated: 07/02/2014 1:48 pm EDT speaks to these very issues and poses tough questions about Google's "driverless" vehicles. Educate yourself carefully before you put your faith in automakers who have knowingly lied to their customers and the government for decades. Study the issue of vehicle electronic sudden unintended acceleration and ask WHY we aren't seeing it addressed publicly. WHY is blame placed on the driver with little more than speculation about which pedal was used or with little more than an assumption on medical condition. This is being done *even when the drivers steadfastly cite a VEHICLE PROBLEM as the cause of the crash. Absence of proof is not proof of absence of a serious ELECTRONIC computer glitch or other electronically-caused SUA.







 

Toyota recalls top sellers for loss of power steering






Toyota recalls top sellers for loss of power steering
James R. Healey, 3:09 p.m. EDT March 11, 2015


Toyota Motor said today is will recall some popular models for a defect that could kill power assist to the steering. It also will recall a handful of electric vehicles for a problem that could result in "a complete loss of drive power" with little warning.

The big car company said it knows of no accidents, injuries or deaths as a result of either issue.

The bigger group:

•110,000 2015 Camry, Camry hybrid, Highlander, Highlander hybrid and 2014-2015 RAV4 SUVs.

The automaker says a circuit board for the electric power steering "may have been damaged" during manufacturing. As a result, the vehicles could lose power-assist to the steering.

Unassisted manual steering still works, but it's much harder to steer the vehicle, especially at low speed — even more difficult than it is to operate a car without the power-steering feature in the first place.

Toyota says a warning light on the dashboard would illuminate when the problem occurs.

The defect "increases the risk of a crash," the car company said.

Camry is Toyota's best-seller in the U.S. It was the industry's No. 3 seller in February, bumping the Ram full-size pickup out of its customary third place on the charts.

The smaller group:

• About 2,500 of the 2012-2014 RAV4 EV battery vehicles.

Components in the electric motor assembly can unexpectedly shift to neutral due to a software issue, killing all drive power to the vehicle. It also would trigger a "Check EV System" warning light, Toyota says.

Without any power, the vehicle can't be quickly maneuvered out of harm's way, and the risk of a crash increases.

Owners will be notified by mail, Toyota says, and dealers will fix the vehicles for free.



http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2015/03/11/toyota-recall-power-steering-switch-neutral-camry-highlander/70157424/

Friday, April 10, 2015

Landmark Toyota verdict exposes cover up says Jere Beasley









Beasley Allen Report host Gibson Vance welcomes Beasley Allen Law Firm founder Jere L. Beasley to the program to discuss a recent landmark jury verdict in a case of wrongful death and serious injury linked to Toyota sudden unintended acceleration. Toyota recalled more than 8 million vehicles worldwide in 2009 and 2010 after reports that sudden unintended acceleration resulted in crashes involving serious injury and death. Toyota blamed the problem on faulty floor mats, sticky accelerator pedals and even driver error. But the real problem all along has been a defective electronic throttle control system (ETCS). Mr. Beasley says Toyota knew before the first recalls that there was a problem with the ETCS, as early as 2004. "When you go back and look at the beginning of this problem, they knew about the problem, that's the real tragedy," Beasley says. "Toyota knew."

The jury in the recent case tried in Oklahoma City determined that defects in the Camry's electronic throttle control system were directly responsible for a 2005 Camry's sudden acceleration and resulting crash where the driver was seriously injured and a passenger killed. The jury in that case returned a multi-million dollar compensatory damages award and determined that punitive damages were warranted. However, the case was settled before the jurors had a chance to determine the amount of punitive damages to be awarded. The amount of that settlement was confidential.



Beasley Allen  
Landmark Toyota verdict exposes cover up says Jere Beasley. Mr. Beasley says Toyota knew before the first recalls that there was a problem with the Electronic Throttle Control System, in regards to sudden unintended acceleration, as early as 2004. "When you go back and look at the beginning of this problem, they knew about the problem, that's the real tragedy."
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
YUP!




Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Jury orders Ford to pay $3 million to Poca couple




Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Jury orders Ford to pay $3 million to Poca couple


ByJared Hunt, Business editor


COURTESY PHOTO A runaway vehicle crash caused by a defective accelerator in a 2001 Ford Ranger, similar to the make illustrated, led to a more than $3 million damage award for a Poca man and his wife.



A Poca man and his wife are set to receive more than $3 million from the Ford Motor Company after a federal jury ruled last week the company was responsible for a defective accelerator assembly that caused a 2012 runaway vehicle crash.

Following a two-day trial in Huntington, the federal court jury awarded Howard and Nancy Nease $3.012 million in compensatory damages stemming from the crash.

The Neases claimed the design of the accelerator assembly on their 2001 Ford Ranger was defective, which made the gas pedal prone to sticking, which caused a crash that seriously injured Howard.

According to their complaint, on Nov. 12, 2012, Howard Nease was driving westbound on U.S. 60 in St. Albans at a speed of about 45 to 50 mph when he took his foot off the gas pedal in an attempt to slow down as he drove up behind a slower moving group of cars. However, the truck kept moving forward at the same speed and, despite hitting the brakes as hard as he could, he soon realized he was unable to slow down.

Nease then swerved off the road to avoid hitting the cars in front of him. The truck jumped a curb, flew into a mulched area, then jumped another curb before striking the brick wall of a wash bay at Mousie’s Car Wash. The truck kept moving through the wash bay before hitting the wall of a brick building adjacent to the car wash.

According to the complaint, witnesses said the truck hit the wall with so much force that its rear end rose high enough off the ground for them to see its undercarriage. One witness told an investigating officer the Ranger’s back wheels continued to spin at full speed for about 25 to 30 seconds after hitting the wall, causing smoke to rise up from the tires.

Howard Nease, who was wearing his seat belt, had to be hospitalized for nearly three months to treat injuries he sustained in the crash.

The Neases were represented by Edgar “Hike” Heiskell III, who specializes in unintended acceleration cases, Lee Javins of Bucci Bailey & Javins and Tony O’Dell of Tiano O’Dell LLC in the case.

O’Dell said Ford knew that their speed control cable in the accelerator assembly for the truck could become bound by dirt, grime or grease, or get frayed or pinched by other parts.

“Not only did they recognize this could happen, but in their engineering handbook it said that it had a 10 out of 10 hazard rating,” O’Dell said. “Their handbook said if you had a nine or a 10 — this is a 10 again — that you needed to redesign it.”

Ford argued at trial that Nease, who is now 74, was old and mistakenly hit the accelerator instead of the brake. O’Dell said the jury didn’t buy that argument.

SAME MANTRA! REPEAT AFTER ME.....

“The jury sent a strong message to Ford Motor Company that we’re going to pay attention to safety laws here in West Virginia,” he said.

While the particular accelerator assembly is no longer used in new Ford vehicles, O’Dell said there are still several older model Ford vehicles on the road that have this same defect.

“Ford really needs to warn people that are driving all of these cars that this has happened, and they either need to replace the speed control cable or have people make sure there’s not any dirt getting in it,” O’Dell said.

A representative from Ford did not respond to a request for comment on the case.

The jury awarded Howard Nease $2,762,828.35, including $762,828.35 for medical expenses and the rest as compensation for future medical care and compensation for permanent injury and pain and suffering. His wife Nancy received $250,000 for “loss of her husband’s consortium” as a result of the crash.



http://www.charlestondailymail.com/article/20150407/DM05/150409381

 

Woman injured when SUV drives through community center is transported to WMC





Woman injured when SUV drives through community center is transported to WMC

Posted: April 7, 2015
The Winchester Star

An SUV ran through the community center in the Autumn Glen subdivision east of Stephens City Tuesday afternoon. A woman inside the building was injured and transported to Winchester Medical Center. (Photo by Scott Mason/The Winchester Star)

A Frederick County Sheriff's Deputy looks over a Subaru Forester that was driven through the community center in the Autumn Glen subdivision Tuesday afternoon east of Stephens City. (Photo by Scott Mason/The Winchester Star)
STEPHENS CITY -- A Frederick County woman putting books away inside an Autumn Glen community center was injured this afternoon when a car ran through the building and struck her.

Phyllis Grim, an 85-year-old resident of Autumn Glen, was transported to Winchester Medical Center after she was hit around 12:40 p.m and suffered “serious injuries,” Frederick County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Division Lt. Warren Gosnell said.

Autumn Glen is a residential community with its entrance from Tasker Road between Warrior Drive and Aylor Road.

Grim was inside Stone Hall, a community center for the development at 115 Bayberry Court, when Susan Kurtz, 68, also of Autumn Glen, drove through the building. Gosnell said Kurtz was attempting to park her Subaru SUV in front of the community center, but stepped on the gas pedal instead of the brake. The vehicle went at least 55 feet through the back of the building and was completely outside of the building when it came to rest.

Four people were inside the building, some playing cards, and two others were outside. No other injuries were reported.

Check back for updates and see Wednesday’s Winchester Star for a full report.



http://www.winchesterstar.com/article/040715br

 

Thursday, April 2, 2015

Toyota Camry, A Car Wash, A Building Crash


The National Car Wash Association knows which vehicles are prone to SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION.





 Owen O'Rourke / Item PhotoA driver slammed into the front entrance of the AutoZone on Boston Street in Lynn Wednesday afternoon, causing the store to close.


Driver gets in the Zone in Lynn crash

 
LYNN — The Boston Street AutoZone became a crash zone Wednesday afternoon when a Toyota Camry fresh from a car wash smashed into the store’s entrance.


The driver was conscious and alert following the crash, said District Fire Chief Timothy Collier. Damage to the auto parts and accessories store was serious enough to close the store following the crash.


City inspectors urged customers to call AutoZone today and check to make sure the 86 Boston St. business is open.

Koty Warner of Lynn was parked in the AutoZone lot at 3:47 p.m. when he saw a black car speeding toward his truck. He backed out of the parking spot as the driver crashed into the AutoZone entrance.

“He bombed into the parking lot and smacked into the front of the building. I was parked 4 feet away from where he hit,” Warner said.

Warner said bystanders attempted to help the male driver out of the car, but Warner said he urged the man to wait for an ambulance. RadioShack sales associate Stanley Fevilien heard a “very, very loud” crash and stepped out of the store in time to see the driver climb out of the Camry.

“I’m happy he’s OK,” Fevilien said.
 
Police Lt. Richard Donnelly and Collier would not identify the driver. Collier said the man was hospitalized “for observation” following the crash. AutoZone workers also declined to discuss the crash.