Lawyers advise Toyota drivers of legal danger of driving after product recall

[FarCenter]

Robert Booth and Andrew Clark
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 3 February 2010 23.54 GMT

Toyota owners in the UK and US were today warned to stop driving their cars immediately amid growing concern about the consequences of a potentially lethal accelerator fault affecting 8m vehicles worldwide.

A leading traffic and criminal lawyer urged the owners of almost 181,000 vehicles recalled by Toyota in the UK to leave them at home or face being charged with dangerous driving if the fault caused an accident.

<SNIP>http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/feb/03/toyota-legal-fears-drivers-recall

[itsrobert]

1. Makes sesne. If a plane had a known defect

Airlines would be liable if they still flown them and defect caused a crash.

[FarCenter]

2. I wonder if there is any US case law on this

Lots of people must be driving cars that have been recalled but that have never had the fix applied.

It would seem that some sharp lawyers would have already sued said drivers for negligence if the recall problem contributed to an accicent.

[TheMadMonk]

6. Oh really? Never watched Air Crash Investigations?

Many comercial airliners have flown with known defects, and in all probability many still do.


Common solutions are workarounds, extra checks (which rely on the dilligence of ground crews) and waiting till the next maintenance cycle to implement a proper fix.

Only the most major problems result in grounding aircraft and the airlines scream blue murder and do everything they can to get the order lifted when it does happen.

On those occasions when airlines are found liable the penalties/compenstation orders are generally way out of proportion.

[MindPilot]

9. Actually there was an item on the local news last night or the night before

A new investigation revealed that a huuuuge number of airliners are in the air with questionable parts and non-certified repairs because the airlines outsource and offshore maintenance.

[Kalyke]

3. I like you.

Shed some light on what it's like to buy against the UAW.

:hi:

[MindPilot]

4. That's a tough call. People have to go to work, etc.

not everyone has alternatives.

[kbuster]

5. True, but they wouldn't really be charged.

Unless it were some really egregious accident

[DemoTex]

7. So when will I get my registered letter from Toyota advising me of the recall?

Until then, all I know is what I read in the papers (and on DU!).

[OHdem10]

8. Not an attorney, I am wondering if a person continues to drive their

and an accident occurs, then they wish to sue the Company.
Would their driving after the public is aware of the problems
have an effect on whether or not they could bring a suit?