Woman Brings Wrongful Death Suit Against Toyota
A Las Vegas woman has brought suit against a familiar company, that has had a considerable amount written about it in this blog, the Toyota Motor Corp. The woman has also named a Toyota dealership after her husband was killed in a car crash, alleging the death was the result of a faulty accelerator and floor mat. The lawsuit accused the company of intentional misconduct and negligence in connection with the death of Ms. Kim Levine’s husband, Jeffrey.
The allegations are that Mr. Levine was driving his late model Toyota Camry when the accelerator pedal became lodged under the floor mat. The vehicle then accelerated to speeds exceeding 90 mph, slammed into the back of a motor home and veered off the highway.
Levine, 48, is seeking unspecified compensation for the emotional trauma experienced by her and the couple’s two sons, and the economic loss resulting from Jeffrey’s death.
“This did not have to happen,” Levine said, explaining her motivation for filing the lawsuit.
She said her two sons, ages 6 and 13, are struggling to cope with the loss of their father, and the strain on her schedule as a single parent has affected her ability to work as a skin care specialist.
The recall reached the U.S. about a month after Jeffrey’s death and named 2005-2010 Toyota Tacomas. Toyota President Akio Toyoda apologized to Congress in February for the deadly defects, which have been tied to 38 lawsuits against the company.
Toyota declined to comment on the suit pending a company wide policy of having no comment to pending litigation.
