TOYOTA ACCELERATES BY ITSELF, CAUSING ACCIDENT IN NEW YORK STATE

From: New York attorney Gary E. Rosenberg (personal injury and accident attorney and lawyer; serving Brooklyn Queens Bronx; Brooklyn Accident Attorney)

On Tuesday March 9,2010 the housekeeper for the Leff family of Harrison (Westchester County), New York, reports that she was driving the family's 2005 Toyota Prius when the car started accelerating on its own, causing an accident. The car went down a long driveway, crossed a road, and struck the stone wall of a property across the road.

Air bags opened, stones were thrown around, and broken pieces of the Toyota were strewn over the ground. The car's front bumper was pushed in and its hood crumpled.

The 56-year-old housekeeper escaped serious injury.

Toyota has recalled approximately 8.5 million vehicles worldwide -- more than 6 million in the United States -- because of acceleration issues in different models and braking problems in the Prius.

Police were investigating the cause of the crash, but a floor mat issue claimed by Toyota to be behind many of the recalls did not appear to contribute to the accident.

This accident could have been much more serious; thankfully, the car did not strike any other vehicle.