Jacksonville Personal Injury Blog

According to an article in The Herald, the push for profitability has led US Airways to cut corners, according to 1,560 pilots for the airline who participated in a recent survey conducted by the University of Illinois. Many of those who responded to the survey said they are being pushed in a way that compromises safety, such as:

• The push for on-time departures
• Pilots have little input into safety issues
• The airline showed an “unsatisfactory response” to reported safety issues
• Safety personnel were seen as “out of touch” with the real risks of flight operations

The survey was taken by Professor Terry von Thaden, a well-respected aviation safety expert. Overall, the survey indicates the safety culture at US Airways is “generally negative and in need of intervention.”

In response, US Airways points to a U.S. News & World Report assessment on the safety of the eight largest U.S. carriers. It ranks US Airways third in overall safety and first among major airlines.

US Airways had 124 documented safety incidents in 2010 among 1.1 million flights. The airline says it met or exceeded its safety goals and posts all safety issues, near collisions and unsafe landings. Last year a US Airways Expression regional flight overran a runway in Charleston, W.VA and the National Transportation Safety Board has found the crew was distracted and unprofessional in their duties.

For many years pilots have been talking about the bottom line mentality of airlines and the impact on safety. Even US Airways Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, who safety landed a jet on the Hudson River in January 2009 saving 155 on board, has expressed concerns about how financial pressures are making it harder to attract and keep experienced pilots.

US Airways pilots are paid the least of all five major airlines and are currently in contract talks.

The Florida personal injury attorneys at Farah & Farah understand a business must be profitable, but not at the expense of safety when one mishap can mean many lives. If you or a loved one have been injured in an aviation accident, you deserve compensation for your medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Call and consult with our experienced aviation accident attorneys about your options.

Channel 4 reports that one person died on County Route 210 after a head-on collision with another vehicle on Thursday night, January 27, just before 7 p.m.

The St. Johns County Sheriff's Department is trying to confirm what led to the fatality and the injuries of another person who had to be airlifted to a nearby hospital with injuries. So far law enforcement has not identified anyone involved in this car crash. CR 210 is a major east-west roadway through the county that runs all the way from the beaches to the western portion of the county. This article does not say where on CR 210 the accident occurred.

Head-On Car Accidents
According to federal statistics, head-on collisions resulted in 10.1 percent of U.S. fatal crashes even though they made up only 2 percent of collisions. An experienced Florida auto accident attorney will often look at driving under the influence as one of the more common reasons a driver will drift out of his lane and into trouble. Depending on the speed of the approaching vehicle, there may be very little time to react, even for the experienced driver. Try not to jerk the steering wheel to avoid causing a rollover.

If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a head-on collision, an experienced lawyer will need to be involved in your case immediately to preserve evidence and interview witnesses. At Farah & Farah, our Florida car crash attorneys will always offer a confidential and comprehensive review of your case to fight for your rights and help you recover from this devastating situation.

Where you live might determine how safe you are behind the wheel. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), a research group funded by the insurance industry, finds the safest places to drive are Washington D.C. and Massachusetts, reports USA Today. Among the most dangerous places to drive are Mississippi, Wyoming, Montana, and Louisiana. The federal data was collected on traffic fatalities per 100,000 population and per 100 million miles driven.

Why do rural areas have twice the death rate? Rural roads have higher speed limits and there are fewer roads with safety engineering features such as a divided highway. In terms of medical access, distance from emergency medical personnel may decrease survival following a crash. And trees and obstructions contribute to many fatal traffic crashes in rural areas. Whether or not a state has a motorcycle helmet law and a primary seat belt law (Florida does) also seems to determine safer roads.

Florida had 2,558 car accident-related deaths in 2009 and 13.8 deaths per 100,000 population, according to the IIHS data. It ranks only behind Texas (3,071) and California (3,081) in the number of highway deaths. Nationwide, there were 33,808 people killed on U.S. highways in 2009.

The National Transportation Safety Board is urging states to adopt the five “most wanted” measures to keep motorists safe. They include:

1. Addressing extreme drunken driving
2. Seat belt use
3. Child-occupant protection
4. Eliminate distractions for young drivers
5. Motorcycle safety

Florida still does not have a requirement for adolescents to sit in booster seats to make adult seat belts more effective. And there is not a mandatory motorcycle helmet law in Florida or any laws regarding electronic messaging while driving, even though there are a host of bills introduced every year.

The Florida car crash lawyers at Farah & Farah advocate the use of child booster seats and laws that address or restrict the use of cell phones while driving. We’ve seen too many times when the state’s failure to enact laws has hurt some of our youngest drivers and passengers.

“Patients are being murdered,” a former nurse tells The Florida Times-Union in this story about a medical malpractice case filed against Memorial Hospital in Jacksonville. The former nurse, in a videotaped deposition released by the victim’s attorneys, said that she warned a supervisor in 2007 that wound care was poor at the hospital. In addition, the attorneys say that a poor state inspection report should help them win their six medical malpractice cases against Memorial.

Memorial is affiliated with the hospital chain, HCA, and has denied the charges, saying they were intended to taint the jury pool. A report by the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration found that nurses handled wound care and not specialists in the wound care field which could lead to “wounds getting worse.”

The patient at the center of one case, was a 6-foot-1 and 375 lb. Clay County Sheriff who underwent bariatric surgery to lose weight. During recovery he developed sepsis, a dangerous infection, which caused his heart to stop and resulted in brain damage.

Medical Malpractice in Florida
Medical malpractice is a serious national problem that kills about 98,000 patients a year in hospitals, according to an Institute of Medicine estimate. Yet among doctors, Florida ranks at the bottom of states to revoke a medical license. In Florida alone, 3,000 to 5,000 deaths that occur each year are attributed to medical errors.

With hospital infections as the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S., the Jacksonville medical malpractice attorneys at Farah & Farah encourage professionals to follow a safety checklist to minimize germs being passed through instruments and a regular assessment of a patient for infection and antibiotic resistance before they enter the hospital. If you have been harmed in a Florida hospital through medical error, call our office for a confidential and complimentary consultation.

No one knows why a girl and two others were not in class at Mitchell High School in Pasco County on Wednesday morning, January 19. Instead, they were crossing eastbound at Little Road and Kish Boulevard in Trinity. When the others stopped at the median, a 15-year-old girl kept going and was immediately struck and killed by a Hyundai.

The 47-year-old driver stopped at the scene of the Florida pedestrian accident and law enforcement found she had no previous violations. Not even a speeding ticket. This story in The Tampa Tribune visits the Generations Christian Church in Trinity later that morning. The church is located at the accident site. Around 9:30 a.m., the morning the collision occurred, church workers were arriving and a witness gave the teen CPR in the road. Then they brought everyone inside the church to give them comfort and to provide a gathering place. The church continued the gathering Wednesday evening for all of the teens involved, parents and anyone who was part of the community, including grief counselors to speak to the other teens.

With highway traffic fatalities down to the lowest level in 60 years, the number of pedestrian deaths appears to be increasing. The Governors Highway Safety Association reports the trend may be partially due to “distracted walkers” just not paying adequate attention to their surroundings.

This tragic pedestrian accident provides a much needed reminder that everyone needs to be completely aware when they are in the vicinity of moving vehicles. You cannot rely on crossing signs alone, and pedestrians need to be able to hear cars so should minimize loud music through a headset.

The Florida pedestrian accident attorneys at Farah & Farah extend their sincere condolences to the friends and family of this beautiful young woman who was loved and admired by many.

No one quite understands in this story in The Florida Times-Union how a 26-year-old woman narrowly missed being hit by a Norfolk Southern Railroad train on Monday, January 17, at about 5:20 a.m.

Apparently the woman crashed her car on a San Marco Boulevard crossing, where a 52-year-old witness pulled her from the car as the train was approaching. It stopped about 15 feet before impact. The woman was arrested and charged with DUI, careless driving, driving with a learner's permit, and leaving the scene of another accident, according to the article.

Earlier in the morning she had allegedly been involved in a hit-and-run on Prudential Drive when she rammed her Hyundai into a fence and palm tree.

The passerby courageously helped the woman get out of her wrecked car as the train approached. Our commendations go out to the passerby. The driver told police she had a beer and a vodka and Red Bull but did not remember anything about an earlier accident.

If you or a loved one has been injured by an intoxicated driver, the experienced Jacksonville car accident attorneys at Farah & Farah have been representing people injured by DUI drivers for more than 25 years. Proving a DUI car crash can be complicated, especially if a breath test or blood test was not taken at the time of the collision. We have the resources and the experience needed to handle this type of car accident litigation.

When does the benefit outweigh the risk? That is the question before the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). After making sure fluoride was in drinking water to support good dental health, a new proposal by the HHS suggests lowering the level of fluoride in drinking water because of a concern that children may be receiving too much fluoride. What’s the problem?

Both agencies have concluded that dental fluorosis can occur on teeth during the formative years (age 8 and under) after excessive fluoride consumption. The conditions results in a tooth with the appearance of a visible lacy white marking or a spot on tooth enamel. A severe case can pit or stain the tooth surface.

As a result, HHS proposes the fluoride level in drinking water be set at the lowest end of the range to prevent tooth decay. In making the change the agency notes that there are now many fluoride products on the market including toothpaste and mouth rinses. HHS will publish the proposal on the Federal Register and should formulate recommendations for community water fluoridation levels within a few months.

If you or a loved one has been impacted by an environmental hazard or a defective product, the Florida personal injury attorneys at Farah & Farah can help. Whether chemical exposure on the job, a drug that was not thoroughly tested, or a label on a dangerous product that is not sufficient to warn consumers, our personal injury lawyers will first determine your level of injury and try to identify the source. Our investigation will focus on earning you the compensation you deserve to cover your medical expenses, lost wages, and any other losses you have suffered.

As the old saying goes – “justice delayed is justice denied” – and that has to be what one Tampa area family is thinking. Three people from one family were killed in a Christmas Day 2007 crash in northwest Pasco County. The family says the accused man from Spring Hill was speeding and intoxicated when he struck the family car stopped at a red light at U.S. 19 and Little Road. He is facing three counts of DUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide but is out on $330,000 bail. The Tampa Tribune reports a trial date has now been set for June. In this article, the family of the three killed say they haven’t celebrated Christmas since that day.

The mother and stepfather, sister, and brother-in-law were leaving a Christmas day celebration in Pasco around 2 p.m. heading to Brooksville when they were rear-ended by the driver. The sister, brother-in-law, and mother all died that day or shortly afterward. The driver was going between 75 and 98 mph when he struck the Chevrolet Tahoe with his pickup truck. His blood alcohol content was 0.045 percent, which is below the 0.08 percent level for intoxication, but he also had Xanax and cocaine metabolites in his system.

This article says the 37-year-old man has a history of DUI arrests and speeding tickets. He also spent 17-months in jail for selling GHB or the date rape drug, and he struck a pedestrian on U.S. 19. She later died but he was never charged.

Why has the case been delayed? Prosecutors say they have more than 70 witnesses including medical personnel and reconstruction experts.

Injured individuals or family members of those killed should never have to experience this kind of delay in justice. Although auto accident cases involving fatalities and especially those involving multiple parties are complex, it is important for them to be handled in a timely manner. At Farah & Farah, our Tampa car accident attorneys work with accident reconstructionists to gather physical evidence and witness statements immediately after the accident while memories are fresh and people can be found. Call our office so we can get started on your auto accident case.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has just issued a Recall and Safety Alert concerning the serious side effects that appear to be linked to a class of osteoporosis drugs called bisphosphonates. Use of the drugs is linked to an uncommon fracture - atypical fractures of the femur - which are seen in less than 1 percent of all hip and femur fractures. The femur fractures are called subtrochanteric and diaphyseal and for several years have been linked to patients taking bisphosphonates.

Bisphosphonates are marketed as the prescription drugs, Fosamax (alendronate sodium), Actonel (risedronate sodium), Boniva (ibandronate sodium), Atelvia (risedronate sodium), Reclast (zoledronic acid), and their generic equivalents. The FDA says a positive association has not been established, however, healthcare professionals are warned to look for atypical femur fractures in osteoporosis patients under treatment with these drugs and should continue monitoring these patients. Patients under treatment for more than 5 years should be re-evaluated as to whether bisphosphonate therapy should be continued. Symptoms might include a dull groin or thigh pain which can occur sometime in advance of the fracture. The new information will be included in the drugs’ labeling and Medication Guide that comes with the prescription.

An estimated 10 million Americans, mostly women, have osteoporosis.

Bisphosphonates have previously been linked to an inability of jaw bone to regrow after oral surgery, also known as osteonecrosis of the jaw, and serious, life-threatening atrial fibrillation, an irregularly fast heartbeat. Whether this class of drugs eventually is taken off the market remains to be seen, but they are closely being monitored as a defective prescription product.

If you are harmed by any defective product or drug, the Florida product liability attorneys at Farah & Farah will open their door to discuss your case.

A report issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) finds that about 6 out of 7 U.S. drivers buckle up when they get behind the wheel, although regional differences seem to dictate how often. For example, in North Dakota, seat belt use is the lowest in the nation at 59 percent, while most frequent users can be found in Oregon where about 94 percent of drivers use seat belts.

However, the survey finds that the 1 in 7 still not wearing seat belts results in one emergency room visit every 14 seconds for injuries related to the crash. Buckling up can cut in half the chance of being seriously hurt or killed in an automobile crash.

In June 2009, Florida enacted a primary seat belt enforcement law which allows law enforcement to pull over and issue a ticket solely because the driver or vehicle occupants are not using a seat belt. This study finds states with the primary enforcement law tend to have more seat belt use (88 percent) compared to states with no primary enforcement law (79 percent). The CDC reports that 19 states do not have a primary enforcement law.

The national average for seat belt use is 85 percent.

Farah & Farah’s Florida auto accident attorneys remind you that car crashes are the leading cause of death among Americans between the ages of 5 – 34. Seat belts are the single most effective tool a driver and passenger can use to avoid traumatic injuries and the associated costs that can last a lifetime.

We also recommend all children ages 12 and under sit in the back seat and that older children use a booster seat. Unfortunately, Florida does not require children who have outgrown a child car seat to sit in a booster seat so the seat belt better fits to hold them in place in case of a crash.

The Farah & Farah law firm hopes you and your loved ones are never in a car accident in Florida, but if you are, we have the experience and the team to fight for your rights at no cost to you. Call us so we can get started at 800-533-3555.

Consumers thought they were getting a free trial of a dietary supplement or teeth whitening product, but instead, they found additional charges on their credit card for more products they didn’t order. Those consumers are getting $3 million in refunds, reports the online magazine Consumer Affairs, after the company, XM Brands agreed to settle deceptive marketing charges filed by the Florida Attorney General’s Economic Crimes Division.

The Hollywood, Florida-based company has received 1,143 complaints filed with the Better Business Bureau of Southeast Florida and the Caribbean. Consumer complain they gave their credit card only to pay for shipping and instead they were subjected to the “negative option” marketing that requires them to cancel after a specific period of time or else they will be enrolled in a membership program with automatic shipments and charges for additional products.

There is also some concern about the safety and efficacy of the products sold, as some complain the products have made them sick.

Consumers have until April 29, 2011 to file a claim with the Florida Attorney General’s Office. Additionally, the AG's office will receive $51,000 from the company to cover the cost of attorneys’ fees and of an investigation, and XM promises to advertise in a way that does not defraud the consumer but lays out the terms and conditions of automatic renewals and shipments.

Florida law says a manufacturer is liable for a consumer’s injury if the product is unreasonably dangerous, or fails to perform as safely as a consumer would expect, or when the risk of danger in the design outweighs the benefits.

Though this is a consumer fraud case, if a consumer is injured by one of the XM Brand products, under Florida’s product liability law, the manufacturers, sellers, distributors, and designers can all be held liable for a defective product. Let Farah & Farah’s Florida product liability attorneys help you navigate the complex area of product liability and defective product law if you have been injured by a dangerous or defective product.

The study “Prescription Medicines and the Risk of Road Traffic Crashes: A French Registry-Based Study” recently published by the Public Library of Science finds that certain prescription drugs increase the risk a motorist may become involved in a serious traffic accident, reports The Wall Street Journal. The study looked at 72,685 French drivers who were involved in serious traffic accidents with injuries between 2005 and 2008. The researchers find that 27 percent of the drivers had taken some type of prescription medicine on the same day as the crash.

Researchers then attached a level 0 to drugs with little effect on driving ability, and a level 3 to those with the greatest effect. The effect of a level 1 drug may depend on the individual tolerance.

Drugs in the level 2 and 3 categories include antihypertensives, diabetes drugs, antidepressants and opioids. Medicines classified as level 2 include muscle relaxants, anti-Parkinson drugs, antihistamines and antihypertensives. Level 3 medicine effects were found to be such that users should not drive, say researchers.

Surprisingly, alcohol use and medication did not yield any interaction as reported by law enforcement however, alcohol use is not always tested in drivers when there is a crash that results in a minor injury.

With about 1.3 million fatal traffic accidents worldwide every year, the study says that 90 percent of those accidents are happening in developing countries.

The study concludes that prescription medications are associated with a number of road traffic crashes in France and that warning messages are relevant for level 2 and 3 medications and are questionable for some level 1 medications. Researchers urge health care workers to warn patients about the potential effects of any medication they are prescribed for its affect on their driving abilities. The research will be used as the European Union standardizes its drug classification systems.

An Orlando teen is in critical condition after trying to cross Orange Blossom Trail at Sprint Boulevard in Apopka on Saturday night, January 1 and was involved in a hit-and-run car accident. The Orlando Sentinel reports that the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) states the 17-year-old girl was struck at about 7:30 p.m. by a 2001 Pontiac driven by a 17-year-old male who was heading southbound on the inside lane of the road. She is in critical condition at Orlando Regional Medical Center.

A witness said the car driver slowed down but then fled the scene of the pedestrian accident. An Orange County deputy sheriff found the Pontiac with a smashed windshield and pulled it over at Rose Avenue and Beegs Road, arrested the driver and charged him with leaving the scene of a crash involving serious bodily injury.

Our wishes go out to the young woman for a full recovery from this tragic collision. She is in our prayers.

Florida Hit-and-Run Collisions
Time Magazine reports that Florida is top in the nation for hit-and-run fatalities. According to a study conducted by the nonprofit Transportation for America, the top four most dangerous metropolitan areas for pedestrians are Orlando, Tampa, Miami, and Jacksonville.

According to Florida law, the driver of a vehicle involved in a crash that results in the death or injury of any person must stop the vehicle immediately and remain at the scene. Any driver who fails to do this, can be charged with a first degree felony which can bring a $10,000 fine and up to 30 years in prison.

Hit-and-Run Reward
The Jacksonville personal injury attorneys at Farah & Farah believe fewer offenders will leave the scene of an accident if they know they could be turned in by witnesses. That is why we decided to join Hit-and-Run Reward, sponsored by American personal injury attorneys who believe if you report a hit-and-run driver you will not only feel good about keeping a dangerous driver off the road, but you could receive a financial reward of $1,000 for anyone you turn in who is later convicted of the hit-and-run. To contact Hit-and-run Reward, call 1-800-644-8678 or visit www.hitandrunreward.com.

The chances of two people driving in the same direction and colliding as they both talked on their cell phones is remote, but that is what the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) states likely happened Sunday night, January 2, in St. Augustine. The Florida Times-Union reports that one man had to be airlifted to a Jacksonville hospital after he had been driving southbound on Dixie Highway near Shore Drive in the left lane and talking on the phone when his SUV drifted into the right lane and clipped the left front of another vehicle, driven by a man also on his cell phone. The second vehicle was forced onto the shoulder of Dixie Highway and into a ditch, according to a report by FHP. The driver of the first vehicle was not wearing his seat belt and was taken to Flagler Hospital in St. Augustine with serious injuries after his vehicle flipped twice and he was ejected. The second vehicle’s driver was wearing his seat belt and was not seriously injured. The first driver was cited with careless driving.

Distracted Driving
Virginia Tech’s Transportation Institute reported in 2009 that dialing a cell phone made the risk of a crash or near-crash event 2.8 times as high as non-distracted driving, while talking or listening to a cell phone made the risk of a crash or near-crash event 1.3 times as high as non-distracted driving. Even reaching for an object such as a cell phone, made the risk of a crash or near-crash event 1.4 times as high as non-distracted driving.

The St. Augustine auto accident attorneys at Farah & Farah wish both drivers well in their recovery from this apparently preventable accident. If you or a loved one has been hit by a distracted driver or truck driver, we are here to offer you a complimentary consultation on your case to determine the at-fault driver and the amount of fault each party shares in the accident. Let our experienced auto accident attorneys handle your case and speak to the insurance companies in the most effective way possible for a positive outcome for you.

News4Jax.com reports that police want to hear from anyone who witnessed a fatal hit-and-run accident on Sunday evening, January 2, that left a 68-year-old pedestrian dead after being hit by three cars while crossing Soutel Drive in Jacksonville.

One of the drivers failed to stop after hitting the man at 7:20 p.m. near Clyde Drive. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office says the man was hit by the first car and lay in the road before being hit by two other vehicles. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The man is reported to walk with a cane and was heading home after disembarking a bus. He was reportedly a beloved handyman, known around his neighborhood for being a friend to everyone. Our condolences go out to his friends and family for their loss.

Police would like anyone to come forward with information on the first car, reported to be a maroon or burgundy large SUV. Crime Stoppers will take your call anonymously and you can receive a cash reward of $1,000. The number is 1-866-845-TIPS.

The Farah & Farah law firm is a member of Hit-and-Run Reward, a national program financed exclusively by American personal injury attorneys who believe if you report a hit-and-run driver you will not only feel good by keeping a dangerous driver off the road, but you could receive a financial reward of $1,000 for anyone you turn in who is later convicted of the hit-and-run. This program is offered in addition to the Crime Stoppers reward program, so doing the right thing could yield you $2,000. The number for Hit-and-Run Reward is 1-800-644-8678.

The Jacksonville car crash lawyers at Farah & Farah believe fewer offenders will leave the scene of a car accident if they know they will be turned in by witnesses.

According to an article in The Los Angeles Times, a new website is going to make it easier for parents to track harmful, defective products for children and potentially dangerous foods that are recalled.

The new website is http://www.ClickCheckandProtect.org, which is associated with Consumer Reports but is compiled by the National School Safety Coalition, the National Parent Teacher Association, and the National School Boards Association. The idea is to make it a one-stop place for parents to easily receive information about defective product recalls and harmful products. The newly formed coalition will also sent out alerts on recalls concerning children’s toys, medicines, furniture, and food.

Recently, there have been almost weekly notices about toy recalls, from lead in children’s jewelry and in paint on toys, to cadmium used by foreign manufacturers in the place of lead. The website will compile the recalls from the three different regulators that oversee consumer products – the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), which oversees products; the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that oversees food and medications; and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that recalls unsafe meat.

The CPSC also plans to launch http://www.Saferproducts.gov, a new website in March, which will be a database that will compile dangerous product reports from consumers that can be read by other consumers.

Consumer Reports asked Americans what they know about product recalls and more than half said they do not fill out the registration cards contained in products they purchase. That is the way the manufacturer knows who to contact in case of a recall, which makes this website all the more important for consumers to be aware of.

The Jacksonville product liability attorneys at Farah & Farah will always be there if you want to discuss a product that injured your child or any family member. There may be compensation available from the responsible party to cover your medical expenses, lost wages, the cost of rehabilitation, and other expenses. Call us to review your case.

When California Highway Patrol officer Mark Saylor and his family died in a fatal crash in an accelerating Lexus in August 2009, it was the first time the nation realized that a number of Toyotas had the same unintended acceleration problem. Now The Los Angeles Times reports that Toyota is going to settle a wrongful death and product liability lawsuit filed by Saylor's family members for $10 million. According to the article, Toyota has agreed to the settlement.

Toyota has said all along that the floor mats in many Toyota vehicle models are responsible for jamming against the accelerator pedal and it blames the car dealership for failing to remove the thick floor mats on the Saylor Lexus. Toyota critics contend the problem with the vehicles has nothing to do with floor mats and more to do with Toyota’s electronics.

Toyota issued a statement saying it was disappointed the settlement amount had been released.

Earlier this year, it was reported that 39 deaths have been blamed on unintended acceleration in Toyota vehicles. The auto manufacturer was fined $16.4 million, the largest civil penalty allowed under law, for hiding information about a defective gas pedal from federal regulators. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has reportedly received at least 2,500 complaints about Toyotas suddenly accelerating.

This settlement could set the bar for the other wrongful death and defective product lawsuits currently pending against Toyota. If you or a family member has experienced an injury or death as the result of a defective automobile, or defective automobile component, the Florida auto product liability attorneys at Farah & Farah would like to help you get started on finding some answers and seeking compensation to cover your medical bills and lost wages.