Attorneys dispute federal findings about Toyota acceleration problem

• Source: Xinhua
• [08:43 February 10 2011]
• Comments

(L to R) NASA Principal Engineer Michael Kirsch, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Deputy Administrator Ron Medford, and NHTSA Administrator David Strickland attend a press conference in Washington D.C., the United States, Feb. 8, 2011. NASA engineers found no electronic flaws in Toyota vehicles capable of producing the large throttle openings required to create dangerous high-speed unintended acceleration incidents, showed a ten-month study released on Tuesday by the US Department of Transportation. Photo: Xinhua

But the report was rebuffed by Berman who said the engineers also didn't "account for the fact that we continue to see runaway events post-recall."

"People have had their cars fixed -- the pedals and mats -- and NHTSA (the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) is still getting complaints," he said.

Berman noted that despite the conclusion that problems were not related to electronic issues, NHTSA officials were still considering a proposal to require brake-override systems in vehicles.

Berman doubted the federal government's report would hurt the federal lawsuits.

"I don't think the report ends this matter one bit," Berman said.

Attorney Marc M. Seltzer agreed, saying it didn't matter what caused the sudden accelerations since the federal lawsuits seek to hold Toyota accountable for not taking steps to fix the problems with some sort of brake-override system.

"Regardless of the root causes, there's a failure to have a brake-override system to prevent unintended acceleration," Seltzer said. "That's what we've contended all along is required and now NHTSA appears to agree with us."

Toyota has paid 48.8 million dollars in civil penalties related to the recall of 8 million vehicles in 2009 and last year.