Despite the fact that Toyota Motor Corp. has not run into any recent issues regarding sudden acceleration in its vehicles, the company’s legal woes over the matter have continued. This time around, the state of Texas is expected to receive $1.4 million in a settlement reached between it and Toyota Motor Corp.
According to an article in MySanAntonio.com, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott recently made this announcement. In addition to settling with the state of Texas, Toyota Motor Corp. did the same with 27 other states. By doing so, the investigation into whether or not the company hid safety concerns is closed.
In the same article, Christopher Reynolds, group vice president and general counsel for Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., was quoted as saying, “Resolving this inquiry is another step we are taking to turn the page on legacy issues from Toyota’s past recalls in a way that benefits our customers.”
Over the past couple of years, the carmaker blamed sudden acceleration issues on a variety of problems including faulty floor mats and gas pedals that would stick. Despite what many people feel, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), along with NASA, has agreed that the cause of the problem was not electronic related.
Although it may sound like Toyota Motor Corp. is getting off easy in Texas and other states, this is anything but the case. Over the past few years, the company has paid out more than $1 billion to settle claims related to various recalls. This includes a fine of $17.4 million imposed by the United States government.
Along with the money paid out by the company, they must make changes to the way safety issues are reported. Additionally, Toyota is prohibited from selling any previously recalled vehicles without first notifying the consumer of the potential defects. Many lives were lost all over the country due to Toyota Motor Corp. vehicles that were suddenly accelerating. It is good to see that the company has at least settled with those effected by the problem, while also being forced to hold itself to higher standards in the future.
