Wrongful Death Suit Filed Over Allegedly Defective Toyota Seat Design
Toyota faces a wrongful death lawsuit filed over an allegedly defective seatback that may have contributed to a 68-year-old woman’s death.
The family of a California woman killed in a rear-end accident back in 2013, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Toyota, alleging that a defective seat design in the auto maker’s Highlander model of cars contributed to her death. When the vehicle was rear-ended by another car, the driver’s seatback broke and fully reclined, causing the driver to suffer fatal neck injuries. If you have lost a loved one in deadly car accident, and you believe a defective auto part to be at fault, our consumer advocates at the Leading Justice can help. We are committed to protecting the rights of consumers harmed by allegedly defective consumer products, and can help put you in touch with a reputable attorney who has experience handling product liability claims.
Driver Suffered Blunt Force Trauma to Her Neck
According to the wrongful death complaint, filed by Robert Francis Wall, Jr. in California Superior Court in Santa Barbara County on December 19, 68-year-old Linda Wall was killed in late 2013, when her Toyota Highlander was rear-ended and forced into the vehicle in front of her. The lawsuit claims that the rear-end impact caused the driver’s seatback in Wall’s Highlander to break and fall into the fully-reclined position. As a result of the allegedly defective seat design, Wall struck her head on the rear seat of the vehicle, suffering blunt force trauma to her neck that resulted in cervical vertebral fractures. The wrongful death suit also names as a defendant Rebecca Sandoval, who was the driver of the vehicle that rear-ended Wall’s Toyota Highlander.
Lawsuits Over Faulty Takata Airbags
Robert Wall’s wrongful death suit against Toyota comes amid serious controversy regarding defective auto parts, namely the faulty Takata airbags that officials indicate have been named in more than two dozen reports of serious car accident injuries and fatalities. According to reports, the recalled Takata airbags may overinflate and rupture during an accident, potentially shooting metal shrapnel into the passenger compartment. As a result of the Takata airbag defect, close to eight million vehicles from ten automakers, including Toyota, Honda, General Motors and BMW, have been recalled, and new information suggests that Takata knew about the problems with its airbags as early as 2001, but failed to take any action to protect car owners from harm.
Contact a Defective Auto Part Attorney Today
If you or a loved one has suffered serious injuries allegedly caused by a defective auto part, contact an experienced product liability lawyer today to discuss your legal options. You may have grounds to file a claim against the company that manufactured the allegedly faulty auto part, in order to pursue financial compensation for your injuries and medical bills.