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Exonerated by Recall, Man Sues Toyota
By Steve Karnowski, Associated Press
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Minnesota man freed after spending more than 2½ years in prison for a fatal crash in a Toyota Camry sued Toyota Motor Corp. on Monday, alleging the automaker knew about safety problems in its cars but failed to fix them or warn customers.
Attorneys filed the lawsuit in federal court of behalf of Koua Fong Lee, 32, of St. Paul, and other members of his family who the complaint alleges were injured or suffered other distress as a result of either the crash or Lee's incarceration.
Lee always maintained he did everything he could to stop as his 1996 Camry zoomed up a freeway exit ramp in St. Paul and smashed into an Oldsmobile in June 2006, killing three people and severely injuring two others in the other car. But he was convicted of criminal vehicular homicide and sentenced to eight years in prison.
His case was reopened after reports surfaced about sudden acceleration problems in certain Toyota models. The automaker ordered millions of recalls, and the government fined it $16.4 million for failing to disclose what it knew about sticking accelerators quickly enough.
At a hearing last August, defense investigators presented new evidence and expert testimony backing up Lee's story, persuading a judge to grant him a new trial. Prosecutors quickly dropped the case.
The complaint alleges Lee required psychological counseling for post-traumatic stress disorder because of both the accident and his imprisonment. It says he now has trouble sleeping and requires sleeping medication.
It also says his wife and four young children suffered "severe emotional distress" because of the crash or Lee's imprisonment, while his father, brother and one daughter who were in his car as he drove home from church suffered physical injuries.
The lawsuit seeks damages yet to be determined, but in excess of $75,000.
Spokespeople and attorneys for Toyota did not immediately return calls seeking comment. But the lawsuit had been expected. A judge last Wednesday granted Lee's request to join in a lawsuit filed earlier by the mother of a 7-year-old girl who suffered fatal injuries in the Oldsmobile, after Toyota attorneys dropped their objections.
Monday's filing formally makes Lee a plaintiff in that case and means it will he heard by the same judge. It's one of hundreds of lawsuits Toyota is now facing across the country over allegations of sudden acceleration problems.
http://www.mainstr...ll-man-sues-toyota
"Deep in the human psyche there lies the need to believe in something fantastic, something powerful, something unknown."
"Touch what you cannot solve, and return to me. I'll give you hints, and I'll give you three..." Zork Nemesis "I eat asbestos and piss PCBs." | |
He did everything he could to stop the car, such as ebraking, throwing it in park and grenading the trans, TURNING THE CAR OFF, driving off the road to avoid injuring any other parties? Somehow i fail to see how its difficult to stop a primitive 1996 Camry. Was Toyota even using drive by wire in 1996?
I just find it BS that someone had trouble stopping 1996 technology and bringing up Toyota's more recent acceleration issue.
[last edit 12/18/2010 7:24 AM by big dave - edited 1 times]
An armed society, is a polite society. So lets get to it! | |
Posted by big dave
He did everything he could to stop the car, such as ebraking, throwing it in park and grenading the trans, TURNING THE CAR OFF, driving off the road to avoid injuring any other parties? Somehow i fail to see how its difficult to stop a primitive 1996 Camry. Was Toyota even using drive by wire in 1996?
I just find it BS that someone had trouble stopping 1996 technology and bringing up Toyota's more recent acceleration issue.
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it's nice to see Toyota's nuts in the fire, but I agree with Dave 110%. You want a car to stop, you can get the fucker to stop. If it's wrecking my car, blowing the fucker up or killing someone, it's going into a guardrail.
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Posted by big dave
He did everything he could to stop the car, such as ebraking, throwing it in park and grenading the trans, TURNING THE CAR OFF, driving off the road to avoid injuring any other parties? Somehow i fail to see how its difficult to stop a primitive 1996 Camry. Was Toyota even using drive by wire in 1996?
I just find it BS that someone had trouble stopping 1996 technology and bringing up Toyota's more recent acceleration issue.
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I agree with both of you. I've been in situations where the vehicle wouldn't stop(both work vehicles that had brake problems). The first one (a full sized van) I slammed into the curb and then the shoulder/ditch. The second one (sideloader tractor trailer) I jumped up onto the median and rode it out.
So yeah, you can stop a vehicle when you need to. One way or the other.
"Deep in the human psyche there lies the need to believe in something fantastic, something powerful, something unknown."
"Touch what you cannot solve, and return to me. I'll give you hints, and I'll give you three..." Zork Nemesis "I eat asbestos and piss PCBs." | |
too many people now swear by the safety features in thier cars. My friend feels my car is dangerous becaus i have a bad ABS sensor, so i have no traction control, and he tells me everytime how one time he nearly had an accident when his traction control wasnt working. then he asked me how i drive in snow without ABS, i said i pump the brakes, he looked at me like i had 3 heads. We are letting our cars drive us, instead of us driving them and sadly... when the safety features fail we blame the cars for our lack of driving skill
Montreal Expos 1969-2004 Forever Proud Lets Keep The Dream Alive | |
I turn traction control off in icy conditions. The little I've driven with very low traction, it seemed to go where I wanted it to instead of where the car wanted to go.
PM me if you want to get join our board and get fit! | |
But, but.......1996 tech. Its a damn ignition switch and throttle cable! The only way to get the throttle stuck open is to put something on the gas pedal, or put an apple in the throttle body. I still dont see how the guy couldnt stop the car.
An armed society, is a polite society. So lets get to it! | |
In the end, it will be mans quest for safety that will doom us all. Fucktard needs to go back to prison. Makes my blood boil and reminds me of the Firestone/Ford bullshit.
Ezekiel 25:17 | |
It could be Toyota's PCM Programmer is evil and has implemented some sort of sequence with the throttle, brake and shifter to engage evil death mode 
The only thing that would be set off any alarms if Toyota fumbles around on this. Anytime you see a corporation fumble around in a lawsuit, you know they are hiding something.
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Posted by Agent Skelly
It could be Toyota's PCM Programmer is evil and has implemented some sort of sequence with the throttle, brake and shifter to engage evil death mode
The only thing that would be set off any alarms if Toyota fumbles around on this. Anytime you see a corporation fumble around in a lawsuit, you know they are hiding something.
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i think Big Dave is right... the 96 Camry was old school throttle cable hooked to a gas pedal and throttle. It's not drive by wire.
so how is this guy suing?
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Posted by big dave
But, but.......1996 tech. Its a damn ignition switch and throttle cable! The only way to get the throttle stuck open is to put something on the gas pedal, or put an apple in the throttle body. I still dont see how the guy couldnt stop the car.
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Think of your general '96 Camry owner- the car is beige. the interior, beige. Maybe he got the "B" package, and has rear speakers and a cassette deck.
I'm also going to assume the passenger side hubcaps and sidewalls are ground the oblivion from attempting to parallel park, there are parking lot dents everywhere, and it has at least one cracked tail light. You know why? Cuz it's an appliance car designed for someone who has NO CLUE HOW TO DRIVE.
Anyone who has ANY experience with worn out old cars has probably had a throttle stick at one point... and we all survived. And I bet none of us even panicked.
My '85 Daytona used to do it all the time. I never got in an accident. My '89 BMW only used to do it over 100 mph because of throttle icing. I lived.
Why the heck aren't they teaching this crap in driver`s ed, or even asking questions about it on driver tests?
Does this mean I can sue Toyota because my '93 Tercel needs a brake job and may not stop quickly enough in an emergency because of it? God's teeth.
[last edit 12/20/2010 3:40 AM by bandi - edited 1 times]
hi i like cars | |
And also, yeah, '96 Camry definitely has a throttle cable.
hi i like cars | |
Posted by bandi
Why the heck aren't they teaching this crap in driver`s ed, or even asking questions about it on driver tests?
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Young Drivers covers that. I remember that being one of the first in-car lessons we had to do...put the car in neutral, lift the e-brake, turn car off...etc.
IQ tests really need to be a required part of getting a drivers license. It never ceases to amaze me, the stupid that gets behind the wheel.
"Adventure is the respectful pursuit of trouble." - Expedition Overland | |
Posted by shadowedsmile
IQ tests really need to be a required part of getting a drivers license. It never ceases to amaze me, the stupid that gets behind the wheel.
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Absolutely. Everyone should have to retake the test every so many years as well. Just to be sure.
"Deep in the human psyche there lies the need to believe in something fantastic, something powerful, something unknown."
"Touch what you cannot solve, and return to me. I'll give you hints, and I'll give you three..." Zork Nemesis "I eat asbestos and piss PCBs." | |
I'm fine if I had to retake my test as part of license renewal. Heck, I'd be happy if the driver's test were more difficult, including some evasive maneuvers and making sure you actually understood things like how to stop a runaway car, and that crashing your car into the guard rail to keep others safe is the best thing to do.
PM me if you want to get join our board and get fit! | |
I think the Norwegian drivers test is like that....but then look at the roads in Norway...an idiot would die trying to make a right on red...
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Posted by shadowedsmile
Young Drivers covers that. I remember that being one of the first in-car lessons we had to do...put the car in neutral, lift the e-brake, turn car off...etc.
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Seconded. I recall very clearly going through the steps as part of Drivers Ed.
And seriously, if you cannot stop your car regardless of what it is doing, then you should not be on the road.
It scares me when I was talking to people at work about this and they were saying I drive a deathtrap ('05 Corolla) because the throttle might stick... the looks I got when I said "Ummm... throw to neutral, then brake" told me they had no idea what that actually would do.
[last edit 12/23/2010 8:25 AM by Archer - edited 1 times]
Abandoned UE - http://www.abandonedue.com
"We live in a twilight world... and there are no friends at dusk." | |
I didn't take drivers ed because in my school district, it was just an 20% discounted Sears Driving School sessions and actually, talking with his then insurance agent, it was cheaper to pay the extra cost of insurance over the year than pay for the class.
HOWEVER, the first thing my father taught me after getting the hang of the basics of the gas pedal, steering and the pedal brake, was the e-brake. We found a 10% hill grade and practiced driving up down it on the e-brake as if it was a runaway. I learned right away the e-brake is super important.
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Posted by Archer
Seconded. I recall very clearly going through the steps as part of Drivers Ed.
And seriously, if you cannot stop your car regardless of what it is doing, then you should not be on the road.
It scares me when I was talking to people at work about this and they were saying I drive a deathtrap ('05 Corolla) because the throttle might stick... the looks I got when I said "Ummm... throw to neutral, then brake" told me they had no idea what that actually would do.
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Even without switching the trans to neutral, stock brakes on an appliance Toyota should be very capable of stopping the car even with a stuck pedal.
An armed society, is a polite society. So lets get to it! | |
Posted by big dave
Even without switching the trans to neutral, stock brakes on an appliance Toyota should be very capable of stopping the car even with a stuck pedal.
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Which is what confuses the hell out of me. Apparently every time this has happened, the brakes have failed also?
I had a rental Corolla at one point when this was going on. I floored it and held the accelerator to the floor, then held the brake pedal. Stopped fine...
I could give a shit less about Toyota since I don't own one. The part that pisses me off is the lack of truth that gets out there, and how stupid people are to just follow it.
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