Stanley M. Chesley, from the Ohio-based law firm, Waite, Schneider, Bayless & Chesley, today filed a major class action lawsuit against Toyota Motor Corporation and other Toyota affiliates. The case is based on the sudden acceleration defect in millions of Toyota automobiles that has caused injuries and deaths.
The lawsuit alleges fraudulent concealment, breach of warranties, and breach of contracts. Chesley alleges that Toyota misrepresented the problem as being caused by floormats and has still not corrected it.
The company has received numerous complaints of sudden, unintended acceleration. Many consumers are fearful of driving their cars. The cars have lost value due to this problem, creating an economic hardship for its customers in already tough economic times.
Until the problem is completely fixed, Chesley says Toyota should compensate its customers, who now have to carry the burden of the lost value, by making their loan and lease payments.
Meanwhile, Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood, during testimony before the House Appropriations Sub-committee today, mis-spoke when the said that, “My advice is to anyone who has one of these vehicles, stop driving it, take it to the Toyota dealer, because they believe they have the fix for it.” Subsequently, LaHood said that what he meant to say was that,
“if you own one of these cars, or if you’re in doubt, take it to the dealer, and they’re gonna fix it.”
It is believed that Toyota’s electronics system in those cars that have been recalled is faulty and not its mechanical system. There are also reports too of problems in other Toyota models, specifically the Prius.
