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9/30/2009
John Cooper
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Toyota/Lexus Recalling 3.8 Million Cars Over Defective Floor Mats

If you own a recently produced Toyota Camry, Prius, Avalon, Tacoma, Tundra, ES350, IS250, IS350 or a Lexus, you need to visit the Toyota Web site immediately. Not to be too alarmist, but you may be driving a car or truck that contains a driver-side floor mat that could cover and trap your accelerator. This problem already appears to have caused at least one fatal accident.

The Toyota site provides details on how to check whether your vehicle contains the correct floor mat and whether the mat is firmly secured. The carmaker is also working with the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration to work out the details of a recall to fix possible problems in as many as 3.8 million cars and trucks.

As far as equipment problems go, loose or poorly fitting floor mats seem relatively minor. The mats are not required safety equipment. However, investigators suspect a mismatched mat led to a California crash in August that took the life of a police officer, as well as the man's wife, daughter and brother-in-law.

According to the Associated Press, California Highway Patrol Officer Mark Saylor was driving a loaner Lexus when the accelerator stuck to the floor, causing the car to reach a speed of 120 mph before hitting an SUV. Cleofe Saylor, Mahala Saylor and Chris Lastrella also lost their lives. The driver-side floor mat in the Lexus was 2 inches too long and may have snagged the accelerator. If the floor mat was the problem, whoever installed it could be held liable for the deaths--whether that was the dealer or the carmaker.

Any improperly installed or malfunctioning equipment on a car or truck can be deadly. As a personal injury attorney with more than 20 years of experience, I know that too well. This is why I am pleased to see that Toyota and Lexus are taking this floor mat issue so seriously. Toyota, at least, has not always been so responsive.

About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton is a law firm which focuses exclusively on injury and accident law. We have a proven track record in the court room, and you can review our case results to see for yourself. Our attorneys have deep roots in Virginia and handle cases throughout the commonwealth. Our office is based in Virginia Beach, but we're ready to come to you anywhere in Virginia if you've been seriously hurt by someone else's carelessness. While not every injury case meets our criteria, we off a free, initial confidential injury case consultation, so call us toll free at 1-800-752-0042. If you cannot get through due to high call volume, please leave a voicemail and we will return your call promptly.

Rick Shapiro and James Lewis were included among the "Best Lawyers in America" 2010 Edition. Rick and James, along with fellow attorney John Cooper were named Virginia "Super Lawyers" For Personal Injury Law (2010 Ed., less than 5% of lawyers are chosen), and selected by the National Million Dollar Advocates Forum (2009). In addition, we were the first injury law firm in Virginia to join Primerus, a select group of highly ethical, respected law firms. Our firm has the highest rating of AV from Martindale-Hubbell, a national lawyer ranking organization, which means we have a reputation for preeminent legal skill.

We also offer free special reports along with editing the Virginia Beach Injuryboard and Norfolk Injuryboard as a public information service. Our injury attorneys also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube, a Railroad Accident/FELA Lawyers blog, a Medical Malpractice and Surgical Errors blog, and a blog dedicated to accident and safety issues on the Eastern Shore of Virginia.

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