Azar Brannan's lawsuit against Toyota was finally settled. At least in a manner of speaking.
She says the suit was settled without her knowledge, that she was removed as plaintiff but led to believe that had not happened. She is currently suing the attorney who represented her, claiming - among other things - that future medical bills for catastrophic injuries to her legs will exceed $7.5 million, yet the case was settled without her permission.
Hooray for Azar exposing what happened and daring to sue her former attorney for legal malpractice. Her current actions are consistent with her determination to expose the nightmare consumers encounter when confronting corporate thugs like Toyota.
If only more consumers would confront and expose systemic abuses of power like Azar has done from the get-go. It's no coincidence that something weird happened in a case wherein the plaintiff was outspoken, posting opinions all over the Internet, and was holding out for a jury trial, which would have probably ended in her favor, embarrassing "Cover-up King" Toyota.
Things are often not what they appear to be, especially when corporate interests are at stake. A good example is Consumers Unions so-called campaign against robocalls, which I recently blogged about, exposing CU's real attitude toward consumers.
Amerika is a pervasively corrupt little rat-hole, the result of crooked corporate interests purchasing what's left of Amirika's government. It's no surprise that so many folks wonder which side "their" attorney is actually working for. Stay tuned for more on Azar's case.
Meanwhile...
RIGHT ON, AZAR. SUE THE PANTS OFF ALL OF 'EM.
Showing posts with label lawsuits. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lawsuits. Show all posts
Sunday, April 22, 2018
Saturday, June 10, 2017
Appeals court finally rules: Bitter Toyota must accept jury's verdict re Koua Fong Lee
Talk about a filthy-rich corporate slob making people's lives miserable. Look no further than admitted-crook Toyota's long-drawn-out battle to have the will of the people thrown out in the tragic case of Koua Fong Lee, the unjustly jailed Toyota driver who spent years in prison until the facts finally came out about Toyota's shoddy products.
It's important to realize that Koua was at a disadvantage throughout the trial.
Yesterday - almost two and a half years after Toyota appealed the jury's verdict - the appeals court ruled unanimously against Toyota, ending yet another inexcusable nightmare for survivors of the horrific crash. A grateful Koua said he wants everyone to know that he was pressing the brakes, not the accelerator.
Toyota has no feelings for their customers or the public, and the dishonest slob loses almost all the time when there's a showdown in court. Of course, Toyota knows this and has become notorious for arranging confidential, out-of-court settlements in an effort to keep their mischief quiet and avoid punitive damage awards when juries are given a close look at the way Toyota does business.
Toyota's bitterness has come through loud and clear ever since the admitted crook lost this case in February of 2015. Meanwhile, much to his credit, Koua has quite admirably gone on with his life.
Wonder whose life Toyota will seek to ruin next.
9/22/2017 update: Bitter Slob Toyota is now asking the appeals court to reconsider its ruling.
6/16/2017 update: Here a link to a great article from Consumer Affairs.
It's important to realize that Koua was at a disadvantage throughout the trial.
Yesterday - almost two and a half years after Toyota appealed the jury's verdict - the appeals court ruled unanimously against Toyota, ending yet another inexcusable nightmare for survivors of the horrific crash. A grateful Koua said he wants everyone to know that he was pressing the brakes, not the accelerator.
Toyota has no feelings for their customers or the public, and the dishonest slob loses almost all the time when there's a showdown in court. Of course, Toyota knows this and has become notorious for arranging confidential, out-of-court settlements in an effort to keep their mischief quiet and avoid punitive damage awards when juries are given a close look at the way Toyota does business.
Toyota's bitterness has come through loud and clear ever since the admitted crook lost this case in February of 2015. Meanwhile, much to his credit, Koua has quite admirably gone on with his life.
Wonder whose life Toyota will seek to ruin next.
9/22/2017 update: Bitter Slob Toyota is now asking the appeals court to reconsider its ruling.
6/16/2017 update: Here a link to a great article from Consumer Affairs.
Wednesday, September 21, 2016
Driver of runaway Lexus is Toyota's worst nightmare
Update 5/2/2017 - Full throttle, unintended acceleration has now been officially linked to a software defect, no room for doubt. Here's more. So we now know that a faulty DOOR can cause a vehicle to speed out of control whether in drive or park, and the problem hasn't occurred in older models. AMAZING what's revealed when auto-industry-lapdog NHTSA is removed from investigating instances of unintended acceleration. This comes at a time when motorists may FINALLY be catching on to the scam of "driver error," evidenced in this lawsuit against Tesla.
5/4/2017 - As a corrupt, corporate-controlled government turns its back on the public, this just in: Multiple fatalities and injuries re the well-documented, ongoing problem with unintended acceleration in Jeeps. Here's a link to another article. And another with video.
"America is lost The total corruption of every public and private institution is complete. Nothing remains but tyranny. And lies. Endless lies." - Former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury Dr. Paul Craig Roberts, from his 7/3/2016 article, "America Destroyed."
Toyota is such a bully. Such a cheat. Such a liar. Real shame that Americans have come to accept that kinda behavior from corporations.
Azar Hadi is one of the rare exceptions to that rule.
Her Lexus - Toyota's "Flagship" model that first got the sudden unintended acceleration issue headlined in the now notorious Saylor case - sped out of control, crashed, and left Azar with catastrophic injuries. I'll never forget her terrifying account - which she posted on Facebook - of what she encountered:
"As I was coming up to the red light at the intersection, my car suddenly lurched forward. I had to veer to the right to avoid hitting the other cars in front of me that were stopped at the light. I went up over the curb and through the grass and landscaping, terrified about possibly hitting a pedestrian on the sidewalk. I then continued onto the street again with a very high speed and I felt my car went over a median going airborne before crashing into an SUV."
Azar has now had many surgeries and faces many more. But unlike most of Toyota's other victims, Azar has responded based on principle. Instead of buckling under enormous pressure and accepting an out-of-court settlement with a confidentiality agreement designed to protect Toyota, she's determined to have her case decided in court to publicly expose the facts about Toyota's lousy products. Given the potential for headline-grabbin' publicity, a courtroom showdown is the absolute last thing Toyota wants, especially with yet another case involving sudden unintended acceleration in their "Flagship" Lexus. Azar's trial was originally scheduled to start in October of this year, but when Toyota realized Azar wasn't bluffing about taking 'em to court, they recently got the date postponed until January of 2017.
Ever since Toyota lost that landmark unintended acceleration case in Oklahoma back in 2013, the Cover-up King has been desperately trying to quiet things down regarding their ongoing unintended acceleration problems. Meanwhile, crashes pointing to electronically-induced unintended acceleration are a dime a dozen, exemplified by this horrific 6/19/2016 accident involving another Lexus. Out-of-court-settlements featuring confidentiality agreements - complete with Toyota "admitting to no wrongdoing" - have become the Cover-up King's trademark since the corporate bully is usually successful in exploiting the vulnerabilities of its victims. Azar is indeed Toyota's worst nightmare.
Ms. Hadi is one tough lady when it comes to exposing facts relevant to electronically-induced unintended acceleration. In the tradition of Koua Fong Lee - the jailed Toyota driver who heroically went to trial - and won - rather than accept a crooked plea bargain, it looks like Toyota has once again met its match.
Update 9/21/2016 - Just now got word that Toyota has AGAIN postponed Azar's court date, this time to April of 2017.
5/4/2017 - As a corrupt, corporate-controlled government turns its back on the public, this just in: Multiple fatalities and injuries re the well-documented, ongoing problem with unintended acceleration in Jeeps. Here's a link to another article. And another with video.
"America is lost The total corruption of every public and private institution is complete. Nothing remains but tyranny. And lies. Endless lies." - Former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury Dr. Paul Craig Roberts, from his 7/3/2016 article, "America Destroyed."
Toyota is such a bully. Such a cheat. Such a liar. Real shame that Americans have come to accept that kinda behavior from corporations.
Azar Hadi is one of the rare exceptions to that rule.
Her Lexus - Toyota's "Flagship" model that first got the sudden unintended acceleration issue headlined in the now notorious Saylor case - sped out of control, crashed, and left Azar with catastrophic injuries. I'll never forget her terrifying account - which she posted on Facebook - of what she encountered:
"As I was coming up to the red light at the intersection, my car suddenly lurched forward. I had to veer to the right to avoid hitting the other cars in front of me that were stopped at the light. I went up over the curb and through the grass and landscaping, terrified about possibly hitting a pedestrian on the sidewalk. I then continued onto the street again with a very high speed and I felt my car went over a median going airborne before crashing into an SUV."
Azar has now had many surgeries and faces many more. But unlike most of Toyota's other victims, Azar has responded based on principle. Instead of buckling under enormous pressure and accepting an out-of-court settlement with a confidentiality agreement designed to protect Toyota, she's determined to have her case decided in court to publicly expose the facts about Toyota's lousy products. Given the potential for headline-grabbin' publicity, a courtroom showdown is the absolute last thing Toyota wants, especially with yet another case involving sudden unintended acceleration in their "Flagship" Lexus. Azar's trial was originally scheduled to start in October of this year, but when Toyota realized Azar wasn't bluffing about taking 'em to court, they recently got the date postponed until January of 2017.
Ever since Toyota lost that landmark unintended acceleration case in Oklahoma back in 2013, the Cover-up King has been desperately trying to quiet things down regarding their ongoing unintended acceleration problems. Meanwhile, crashes pointing to electronically-induced unintended acceleration are a dime a dozen, exemplified by this horrific 6/19/2016 accident involving another Lexus. Out-of-court-settlements featuring confidentiality agreements - complete with Toyota "admitting to no wrongdoing" - have become the Cover-up King's trademark since the corporate bully is usually successful in exploiting the vulnerabilities of its victims. Azar is indeed Toyota's worst nightmare.
Ms. Hadi is one tough lady when it comes to exposing facts relevant to electronically-induced unintended acceleration. In the tradition of Koua Fong Lee - the jailed Toyota driver who heroically went to trial - and won - rather than accept a crooked plea bargain, it looks like Toyota has once again met its match.
Update 9/21/2016 - Just now got word that Toyota has AGAIN postponed Azar's court date, this time to April of 2017.
Monday, March 16, 2015
Toyota facing the music over B.B. King Camry ad
News broke toward the end of last year that admitted-crook Toyota and its ad agency Saatchi and Saatchi North America are accused of copyright infringement associated with a Camry ad. Never mind the ad neglecting to mention NASA physicist Henning Leidecker warning of increased risk of unintended acceleration in '02-'06 Camrys. The Toyota gang struck a sour note by deriving an ad campaign from someone's book about B.B. King without first getting the author's permission. And a federal judge has now ruled that the lawsuit can proceed, overruling a "challenge" blabbered out by the Coverup King. Always bear in mind that an Associated Press investigation found that Toyota indulges in some pretty sleazy legal tactics when sued.
This isn't the first time a Toyota ad campaign has made the wrong kinda headlines. Not too long ago, advertising the "Toyota Way" literally terrorized a consumer after Saatchi came up with what's gotta be the most ridiculous idea ever when it comes to spreadin' the word about a product.
What really shows Toyota's true colors when it comes to who owns written material is the Coverup King's harassment of whistleblower Betsy Benjaminson. The unemployed, single-mother-of-four continues to be subjected to pricey intimidation tactics by a gang of Toyota's big-shot lawyers because Benjaminson dared to divulge information she felt the public needed to know regarding Toyota's problems with unintended acceleration. Toyota seems to think it's okay to use privileged information from someone's book for an advertising campaign, but it's not okay for someone to divulge "privileged Toyota information" that electrical engineers such as the exceptionally well-credentialed Dr. Antony Anderson believe has safety implications for the public. In fact, Dr. Anderson's study on unintended acceleration has been published in the prestigious IEEE Access. Go figure.
Really, folks. Who trusts the advertising of an admitted crook in the first place?
Update 3/16/2015 - Repeated efforts have been unsuccessful in getting this post to appear in standard format on Facebook. My remarks and the link itself are all that shows. I'll monitor re potential censorship issues.
Update 4/23/2015 - The suit has now been settled. Confidentially, of course. Keeping things quiet is Toyota's trademark.
This isn't the first time a Toyota ad campaign has made the wrong kinda headlines. Not too long ago, advertising the "Toyota Way" literally terrorized a consumer after Saatchi came up with what's gotta be the most ridiculous idea ever when it comes to spreadin' the word about a product.
What really shows Toyota's true colors when it comes to who owns written material is the Coverup King's harassment of whistleblower Betsy Benjaminson. The unemployed, single-mother-of-four continues to be subjected to pricey intimidation tactics by a gang of Toyota's big-shot lawyers because Benjaminson dared to divulge information she felt the public needed to know regarding Toyota's problems with unintended acceleration. Toyota seems to think it's okay to use privileged information from someone's book for an advertising campaign, but it's not okay for someone to divulge "privileged Toyota information" that electrical engineers such as the exceptionally well-credentialed Dr. Antony Anderson believe has safety implications for the public. In fact, Dr. Anderson's study on unintended acceleration has been published in the prestigious IEEE Access. Go figure.
Really, folks. Who trusts the advertising of an admitted crook in the first place?
Update 3/16/2015 - Repeated efforts have been unsuccessful in getting this post to appear in standard format on Facebook. My remarks and the link itself are all that shows. I'll monitor re potential censorship issues.
Update 4/23/2015 - The suit has now been settled. Confidentially, of course. Keeping things quiet is Toyota's trademark.
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
Lexus dealer in Saylor case reaches confidential settlement
"Owner Bob Baker said investigators failed to fully examine possible manufacturing defects."
Amidst news of a major auto dealer in Maryland blowing the whistle on manufacturers for directing dealers to conceal dangerous defects, Bob Baker, the Lexus dealer associated with the Saylor case, which focused national attention on Toyota's problems with unintended acceleration, has reached a last-minute, confidential settlement with the parents of the victims. Interestingly enough, back in 2010, when Toyota settled its case - confidentially, of course - regarding the Saylor crash, Mr. Baker was outspoken in favor of making details of that settlement public.
Since the Saylor tragedy, evidence has emerged revealing electronic defects galore in Toyota's throttle control. Worse yet, cases of runaway vehicles - most often Toyotas, but affecting other brands as well - are continuing. Vehicles crashing into buildings has reached epidemic proportions, and the National Carwash Association has started documenting which vehicles are most prone to speed out of control. Note the comments by Bob Schrum in this article updating readers that no charges will be filed regarding a Jeep that unexpectedly sped away at a carwash in Flagstaff, Arizona.
Then there's the ongoing case of Bob Ruginis, a Toyota customer who lucked out and managed to obtain a copy of the EDR readout after his Corolla sped out of control. As I've mentioned in other posts, there are literally too many runaway vehicle cases pointing to electronic defects to keep up with.
Once again, folks: What kind of "government" allows automakers to kick consumers around, conceal dangerous defects, and get away with never-ending parades of blood-spattered scandals?
Amidst news of a major auto dealer in Maryland blowing the whistle on manufacturers for directing dealers to conceal dangerous defects, Bob Baker, the Lexus dealer associated with the Saylor case, which focused national attention on Toyota's problems with unintended acceleration, has reached a last-minute, confidential settlement with the parents of the victims. Interestingly enough, back in 2010, when Toyota settled its case - confidentially, of course - regarding the Saylor crash, Mr. Baker was outspoken in favor of making details of that settlement public.
Since the Saylor tragedy, evidence has emerged revealing electronic defects galore in Toyota's throttle control. Worse yet, cases of runaway vehicles - most often Toyotas, but affecting other brands as well - are continuing. Vehicles crashing into buildings has reached epidemic proportions, and the National Carwash Association has started documenting which vehicles are most prone to speed out of control. Note the comments by Bob Schrum in this article updating readers that no charges will be filed regarding a Jeep that unexpectedly sped away at a carwash in Flagstaff, Arizona.
Then there's the ongoing case of Bob Ruginis, a Toyota customer who lucked out and managed to obtain a copy of the EDR readout after his Corolla sped out of control. As I've mentioned in other posts, there are literally too many runaway vehicle cases pointing to electronic defects to keep up with.
Once again, folks: What kind of "government" allows automakers to kick consumers around, conceal dangerous defects, and get away with never-ending parades of blood-spattered scandals?
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
Manufacturing defect + Koua Fong Lee's account + similar accounts of runaway '96 Camrys = 100% Toyota's fault
It doesn't make sense to hold Koua Fong Lee 40% accountable for the tragic accident that claimed the lives of three people. You can't have it both ways. Either the vehicle had a manufacturing defect in the accelerator assembly or it didn't. The jury ruled that it did, giving credence to testimony given by Lee as well as other drivers who said they had unintended acceleration problems with '96 Camrys. So how on earth did the jury jump from agreeing with the crux of Koua's case to concluding that he was 40% at fault for the accident? It's anybody's guess as to how such a thing happened, and I certainly hope the miscarriage of justice is remedied on appeal.
The entire matter boils down to corroborating evidence of Lee's account of what happened. Fact is, such evidence has been there by the boatload ever since the accident occurred. The penniless immigrant was railroaded from the get go, and the disgraceful spectacle continued throughout his effort to sue Toyota - an admitted crook that deserves to be known as the Coverup King of the automotive industry - for a manufacturing defect.
Koua's lawsuit was stymied at the outset by a ridiculous legal shenanigan which took away his right to claim punitive damages. If anyone ever deserved punitive damages from an automaker, it's Koua Fong Lee, who spent a whopping two and a half years in prison as a consequence of Toyota's now-established manufacturing defect. And don't hand me any nonsense about shifting the blame for Lee's incarceration to Minnesota's sorry excuse for a justice system, then cleverly passing false imprisonment costs along to the taxpaying public. It's time automakers - especially admitted crooks like Toyota - are held accountable to the Nth degree for the consequences - both direct and indirect - resulting from manufacturing defects. Lee was further hamstrung by not being allowed to claim Toyota was guilty of a cover-up. Never mind complaints lodged with NHTSA about unintended acceleration in '96 Camrys. And don't dare to breath a word about the Coverup King - er I mean Toyota - pleading guilty to that federal fraud charge for misleading safety investigators about defective products.
Of course, "Judge Ann" quickly instructed the jury that it couldn't consider Lee's time in prison, nor the automaker's headline-grabbing parade of recalls, some of which resulted in record-setting fines for delays in reporting safety defects. Rounding out the picture, Lee's attorney's plans to present at additional witnesses were also quashed by the ever vigilant "Judge Ann," who kept a watchful eye lest a filthy rich corporate crook - at last count harboring $60 billion just in cash - be treated unfairly. If only folks had the same degree of concern for penniless immigrants and taxpaying citizens...
At one point, the kindly judge even assisted Toyota's attorney during a cross-examination of the hapless immigrant whose "peers" on the jury, I hasten to add, did not include anyone of Hmong descent. But perhaps "Judge Ann's" most notable "assistance" was allowing Toyota to present sworn depositions regarding that crux-of-the-case manufacturing defect. I'm sure the good judge wasn't aware of the fact that it's kinda difficult to conduct a cross-examination of a deposition. No wonder an Associated Press investigation concluded that Toyota uses evasion as a legal tactic. Moreover, according to Lee's lawyer, Toyota spent "tens of millions" of dollars in an effort to "frame" his client.
Don't get me wrong. Given the lopsided advantages granted to Toyota, it's a miracle the jury established that a manufacturing defect did exist, found Toyota 60% responsible for the accident, and awarded $11.4 million to the plaintiffs, $2.2 million of which will go to Lee. For all that, I'm exceedingly grateful. Unfortunately, the fact remains that many lives have been lost and shattered, the tragic nature of which was addressed quite admirably by a downcast and sorrowful Koua Fong Lee immediately after the verdict.
Toyota, there are some things money just can't buy.
Monday, January 12, 2015
Admit it, Toyota: The Camry's sudden surge is what "startled" Koua Fong Lee
Please spread the word: There may be hope yet for folks who were victimized by Toyota regarding the "pre-cat" manufacturing defect in MR2 Spyders.
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Leave it to the attorneys for an admitted crook to try to pull a fast one in court. As Koua Fong Lee's lawsuit got underway, Toyota's attorney tried to fool the jury into thinking that "when Lee took the off-ramp, he was startled (emphasis mine) by many cars in front of him and stepped on the accelerator instead of the brake." The guise is based on a fallacious 1989 "study" by NHTSA - the automotive industry's little lapdog - that blabbers about unintended acceleration events coming about because the driver is "distracted" or "startled."
A common-sense analysis shows how utterly absurd the notion is, especially when applied to unintended acceleration events that happen on highways, when the driver's foot is most assuredly already on the accelerator, as was the case with Koua Fong Lee. What makes NHTSA's much-ballyhooed "study" so ridiculous is the fact that no explanation is offered regarding precisely why a "distracted" driver would respond by pushing more forcefully on the accelerator pedal.
What actually happens is confirmed by electrical engineer Dr. Antony Anderson in his lengthy and highly detailed study of unintended acceleration events. The driver is "distracted" or "startled" by the sudden surge in the vehicle's SPEED. Because the driver's foot is already on the accelerator, it's implausible - indeed, it's ridiculous - to assert that the driver would respond by pressing harder on the accelerator pedal. Such blabber was cooked up by NHTSA and the automotive industry as part of a well-orchestrated effort to dupe the public. As anyone who's driven a vehicle knows, in such a situation the spontaneous response would be to stomp on the brake pedal. And during Koua's appeal for a re-trial, it was demonstrated - by a burnt brake light filament - that he did just that when his 1996 Camry suddenly picked up speed as he exited the highway.
Another issue the NHTSA blabber conveniently avoids is the fact that runaway vehicles are exceedingly difficult - if not impossible - to stop. Consumer Reports' engineers "found that it's difficult to stop some vehicles with a stuck throttle at highway speeds by pressing on the brakes alone." As did highway patrolman Saylor - the doomed driver of the runaway Lexus ES 350 whose screams for help were caught on a 911 recording - Koua too began screaming that he couldn't stop the car.
What's important to bear in mind is evidence galore confirming Coverup King Toyota's dishonest behavior when the now admitted crook argues a case in court. An Associated Press investigation, concluding that Toyota "has routinely engaged in questionable, evasive and deceptive legal tactics when sued" is apparently an understatement.
I'll say it again: Koua Fong Lee still needs all the luck he can get.
Update 1/13/2015 - The burnt filament in Koua's brake light - proving that Koua had his foot on the brake - was spotlighted in yesterday's testimony by an expert witness. Of course, this had already been established during Koua's bid for a re-trial prior to charges against him being dismissed. Nonetheless, it's appalling that such testimony hasn't been headlined by mainstream media.
Update 1/14/2015 - A mysterious pause in Koua's lawsuit took place yesterday, and it's rumored that Toyota is trying to settle the case out of court. If there's anything admitted crook and Coverup King Toyota can't stand, it's the truth, and lots of it has been coming out since Koua's lawsuit started. Nobody should be surprised if wunna Toyota's "confidential" settlements is reached in an obvious effort to shut things up. Bear in mind that Toyota has been in "settlement mode" ever since that landmark unintended acceleration trial in Oklahoma unveiled evidence of electronic defects in the Coverup King's throttle control: "After the Oklahoma verdict, Toyota's (settlement offer) increased substantially." Stay tuned.
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Leave it to the attorneys for an admitted crook to try to pull a fast one in court. As Koua Fong Lee's lawsuit got underway, Toyota's attorney tried to fool the jury into thinking that "when Lee took the off-ramp, he was startled (emphasis mine) by many cars in front of him and stepped on the accelerator instead of the brake." The guise is based on a fallacious 1989 "study" by NHTSA - the automotive industry's little lapdog - that blabbers about unintended acceleration events coming about because the driver is "distracted" or "startled."
A common-sense analysis shows how utterly absurd the notion is, especially when applied to unintended acceleration events that happen on highways, when the driver's foot is most assuredly already on the accelerator, as was the case with Koua Fong Lee. What makes NHTSA's much-ballyhooed "study" so ridiculous is the fact that no explanation is offered regarding precisely why a "distracted" driver would respond by pushing more forcefully on the accelerator pedal.
What actually happens is confirmed by electrical engineer Dr. Antony Anderson in his lengthy and highly detailed study of unintended acceleration events. The driver is "distracted" or "startled" by the sudden surge in the vehicle's SPEED. Because the driver's foot is already on the accelerator, it's implausible - indeed, it's ridiculous - to assert that the driver would respond by pressing harder on the accelerator pedal. Such blabber was cooked up by NHTSA and the automotive industry as part of a well-orchestrated effort to dupe the public. As anyone who's driven a vehicle knows, in such a situation the spontaneous response would be to stomp on the brake pedal. And during Koua's appeal for a re-trial, it was demonstrated - by a burnt brake light filament - that he did just that when his 1996 Camry suddenly picked up speed as he exited the highway.
Another issue the NHTSA blabber conveniently avoids is the fact that runaway vehicles are exceedingly difficult - if not impossible - to stop. Consumer Reports' engineers "found that it's difficult to stop some vehicles with a stuck throttle at highway speeds by pressing on the brakes alone." As did highway patrolman Saylor - the doomed driver of the runaway Lexus ES 350 whose screams for help were caught on a 911 recording - Koua too began screaming that he couldn't stop the car.
What's important to bear in mind is evidence galore confirming Coverup King Toyota's dishonest behavior when the now admitted crook argues a case in court. An Associated Press investigation, concluding that Toyota "has routinely engaged in questionable, evasive and deceptive legal tactics when sued" is apparently an understatement.
I'll say it again: Koua Fong Lee still needs all the luck he can get.
Update 1/13/2015 - The burnt filament in Koua's brake light - proving that Koua had his foot on the brake - was spotlighted in yesterday's testimony by an expert witness. Of course, this had already been established during Koua's bid for a re-trial prior to charges against him being dismissed. Nonetheless, it's appalling that such testimony hasn't been headlined by mainstream media.
Update 1/14/2015 - A mysterious pause in Koua's lawsuit took place yesterday, and it's rumored that Toyota is trying to settle the case out of court. If there's anything admitted crook and Coverup King Toyota can't stand, it's the truth, and lots of it has been coming out since Koua's lawsuit started. Nobody should be surprised if wunna Toyota's "confidential" settlements is reached in an obvious effort to shut things up. Bear in mind that Toyota has been in "settlement mode" ever since that landmark unintended acceleration trial in Oklahoma unveiled evidence of electronic defects in the Coverup King's throttle control: "After the Oklahoma verdict, Toyota's (settlement offer) increased substantially." Stay tuned.
Friday, January 9, 2015
Admitted-crook Toyota granted unfair advantage in Koua Fong Lee's lawsuit
Please spread the word: There may be hope yet for folks who were victimized by Toyota regarding the "pre-cat" manufacturing defect in MR2 Spyders.
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tt was a hoot watchin' Amerika's so-called justice system exposed for the sham it is when unjustly imprisoned Toyota driver Koua Fong Lee appealed for a re-trial. The public unveiling of how Lee's case was handled confirmed the railroading of a penniless immigrant who found himself at the mercy - or lack thereof - of a pervasively corrupt system ramrodded by the incompetent, the uncaring, the politically motivated, and those hapless souls infected with this country's heritage of racism, which got underway with the American Indian. Evidence abounds - including some of the comments on news articles - that folks of Hmong descent best watch their step 'round the "Twin Cities" of Minnesota.
Once the sham of Lee's "conviction" was exposed - amidst picketing outside the courtroom, and a Facebook page committed to seeing Lee released from prison - there was little the good judge could do except free a guy who had beaten the odds when it comes to reversing injustice. And of course, with Lee winning his bid for a re-trial, his politically astute persecutor - er I mean prosecutor - suddenly saw the light and dropped all charges. She knew better than risk another trial, and that's well and good. But how many other "Koua Fong Lees" are rotting away in Amerika's corporate, run-for-profit prisons? How many other unjustly-imprisoned folks are lucky enough to have a conscientious newspaper reporter intervene, round up high-priced attorneys willing to work pro-bono and stick with the case through thick and thin?
So now we come to the Grand Opening of Lee's well-founded-if-ever-there-was lawsuit, not against Toyota, but against admitted crook Toyota. An automaker unparalleled in the annals of automotive history when it comes to lawsuits galore, congressional inquiries, record-setting fines, retaliation against whistleblowers, dirty deals with auto-industry-stooge NHTSA, and the foul-smelling list goes on ad nauseum, topped off by Toyota's guilty plea to a federal fraud charge, accompanied by $1.2 billion worth of payola forked over to a crooked government in exchange for an end to a federal investigation that threatened to blow the lid regarding evidence of electronic defects in Toyota's throttle control.
Whew. Quite a record the ol' Coverup King has established. But not to worry...
Judge Ann gonna make sure corporate-citizen Toyota - at last count sporting a $60 billion pile of cash - isn't treated unfairly by some upstart immigrant who had the audacity to file suit against the Coverup King. First off, that pesky issue of punitive damages - a consideration that's put Toyota in "settlement mode" ever since the Bookout case (see video at bottom) in Oklahoma - had to be dealt with. No problem. Simply rule that Lee isn't entitled to claim such damages. That oughta teach him to confront the likes of Toyota. No tellin' what a jury might do with a case involving a young plaintiff unjustly imprisoned for many years.
And then there's all this fuss about what the jury might be allowed to consider. Ahem. Yes, let's make sure the jury doesn't start thinking about Toyota's never-ending parade of recalls, the congressional inquiry, the fines for delays in reporting safety defects, and for double-dog certain let's not even mention the part about Toyota being an admitted crook. All the jury needs to know for sure, according to Judge Ann, is the fact that Camrys like the one Lee was driving were never part of any of the Coverup King's - er I mean Toyota's - recalls. And that fact provides the absolute perfect opportunity to rule that this pesky immigrant can't argue that Toyota covered anything up. After all, how could any informed person in their right mind entertain the notion that corporate-citizen Toyota might be somewhat less than forthright about acknowledging safety defects? And never mind that a whole slew of people have already testified that they too had been terrorized when their Camrys - just like the one Lee was driving - suddenly sped out of control. Shame on them for having the unmitigated gall to say so under oath, and it must be bothersome indeed that two of Toyota's "Lee-type Camry" victims will testify as part of Lee's lawsuit.
For icing on the cake, let's put some hefty limits on what the jury can hear regarding the horrors Lee experienced during years of unjust imprisonment. Package things up neatly, and blabber that as far as prison time goes, Lee should be compensated not by Toyota, but by taxpayers.
Right, Judge Ann. Let's bend over backwards to make sure this immigrant's lawsuit is conducted fairly for all concerned, especially a taxpaying public that continues to be put at risk by the shenanigans of a crook like Toyota, propped up by the automaker's good friends in Washington - Repukes n Demagogues alike - who deceitfully pose as representatives of the people.
In his courageous efforts to make truth prevail, Koua Fong Lee still needs all the luck he can get.
###
tt was a hoot watchin' Amerika's so-called justice system exposed for the sham it is when unjustly imprisoned Toyota driver Koua Fong Lee appealed for a re-trial. The public unveiling of how Lee's case was handled confirmed the railroading of a penniless immigrant who found himself at the mercy - or lack thereof - of a pervasively corrupt system ramrodded by the incompetent, the uncaring, the politically motivated, and those hapless souls infected with this country's heritage of racism, which got underway with the American Indian. Evidence abounds - including some of the comments on news articles - that folks of Hmong descent best watch their step 'round the "Twin Cities" of Minnesota.
Once the sham of Lee's "conviction" was exposed - amidst picketing outside the courtroom, and a Facebook page committed to seeing Lee released from prison - there was little the good judge could do except free a guy who had beaten the odds when it comes to reversing injustice. And of course, with Lee winning his bid for a re-trial, his politically astute persecutor - er I mean prosecutor - suddenly saw the light and dropped all charges. She knew better than risk another trial, and that's well and good. But how many other "Koua Fong Lees" are rotting away in Amerika's corporate, run-for-profit prisons? How many other unjustly-imprisoned folks are lucky enough to have a conscientious newspaper reporter intervene, round up high-priced attorneys willing to work pro-bono and stick with the case through thick and thin?
So now we come to the Grand Opening of Lee's well-founded-if-ever-there-was lawsuit, not against Toyota, but against admitted crook Toyota. An automaker unparalleled in the annals of automotive history when it comes to lawsuits galore, congressional inquiries, record-setting fines, retaliation against whistleblowers, dirty deals with auto-industry-stooge NHTSA, and the foul-smelling list goes on ad nauseum, topped off by Toyota's guilty plea to a federal fraud charge, accompanied by $1.2 billion worth of payola forked over to a crooked government in exchange for an end to a federal investigation that threatened to blow the lid regarding evidence of electronic defects in Toyota's throttle control.
Whew. Quite a record the ol' Coverup King has established. But not to worry...
Judge Ann gonna make sure corporate-citizen Toyota - at last count sporting a $60 billion pile of cash - isn't treated unfairly by some upstart immigrant who had the audacity to file suit against the Coverup King. First off, that pesky issue of punitive damages - a consideration that's put Toyota in "settlement mode" ever since the Bookout case (see video at bottom) in Oklahoma - had to be dealt with. No problem. Simply rule that Lee isn't entitled to claim such damages. That oughta teach him to confront the likes of Toyota. No tellin' what a jury might do with a case involving a young plaintiff unjustly imprisoned for many years.
And then there's all this fuss about what the jury might be allowed to consider. Ahem. Yes, let's make sure the jury doesn't start thinking about Toyota's never-ending parade of recalls, the congressional inquiry, the fines for delays in reporting safety defects, and for double-dog certain let's not even mention the part about Toyota being an admitted crook. All the jury needs to know for sure, according to Judge Ann, is the fact that Camrys like the one Lee was driving were never part of any of the Coverup King's - er I mean Toyota's - recalls. And that fact provides the absolute perfect opportunity to rule that this pesky immigrant can't argue that Toyota covered anything up. After all, how could any informed person in their right mind entertain the notion that corporate-citizen Toyota might be somewhat less than forthright about acknowledging safety defects? And never mind that a whole slew of people have already testified that they too had been terrorized when their Camrys - just like the one Lee was driving - suddenly sped out of control. Shame on them for having the unmitigated gall to say so under oath, and it must be bothersome indeed that two of Toyota's "Lee-type Camry" victims will testify as part of Lee's lawsuit.
For icing on the cake, let's put some hefty limits on what the jury can hear regarding the horrors Lee experienced during years of unjust imprisonment. Package things up neatly, and blabber that as far as prison time goes, Lee should be compensated not by Toyota, but by taxpayers.
Right, Judge Ann. Let's bend over backwards to make sure this immigrant's lawsuit is conducted fairly for all concerned, especially a taxpaying public that continues to be put at risk by the shenanigans of a crook like Toyota, propped up by the automaker's good friends in Washington - Repukes n Demagogues alike - who deceitfully pose as representatives of the people.
In his courageous efforts to make truth prevail, Koua Fong Lee still needs all the luck he can get.
Saturday, October 18, 2014
Jury awards Plaintiff $12 million in Toyota lap belt case
“The whole courtroom was in tears, and so was the jury. The evidence was strong; it was an absolute slam dunk.” - Chelsie Hill's father, quoted by KSBW.com news.
Who woulda thought? Coverup King and now-admitted-crook Toyota is having problems convincing juries that it's telling the truth. No wonder Toyota prefers out-of-court, confidential settlements. Even more so since it lost that landmark unintended acceleration case in Oklahoma last October.
It's a real shame that consumers have to file expensive, time consuming, and emotionally draining lawsuits to stand a chance of prevailing against crooked corporations like Toyota. Equally bad that we have a corporate-controlled government kissin' up to these crooks by manufacturing bald-faced lies - no, NASA did NOT rule out electronic defects as a cause of unintended acceleration - and simply "refusing to comment" if anyone dares to confront the auto industry's repulsive little puppets with a few facts.
In Hill's case - involving a 4Runner - admitted-crook Toyota is "expected to appeal." Is anyone surprised?
Update 10/18/14 - Another article puts the situation in proper perspective. Hill's lawyer says "Toyota misled the public about the safety of their lap belts and now there are millions of people out there driving those cars," and Ben Kelley, a Center for Auto Safety board member who testified at the trial, points out that "As of 2014, there are more than 3 million Toyota vehicles with at least one lap belt - similar to the one Hill wore - driving in the U.S."
Update 10/19/2014 - VIDEO: former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury Dr. Paul Craig Roberts offers some GREAT comments on the revolving door twixt this corrupt government's so-called regulators and the industries they puppet for, paving the way for lucrative jobs in those industries. NHTSA (No Help To Solve Anything) and Toyota are prime examples, which probably explains how Toyota's lap belts squeaked by "safety regulators" in the first place. Kudos to Dr. Roberts for pointing out that Americans no longer care if someone has the reputation of being a crook.
Update 10/18/14 - Another article puts the situation in proper perspective. Hill's lawyer says "Toyota misled the public about the safety of their lap belts and now there are millions of people out there driving those cars," and Ben Kelley, a Center for Auto Safety board member who testified at the trial, points out that "As of 2014, there are more than 3 million Toyota vehicles with at least one lap belt - similar to the one Hill wore - driving in the U.S."
Update 10/19/2014 - VIDEO: former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury Dr. Paul Craig Roberts offers some GREAT comments on the revolving door twixt this corrupt government's so-called regulators and the industries they puppet for, paving the way for lucrative jobs in those industries. NHTSA (No Help To Solve Anything) and Toyota are prime examples, which probably explains how Toyota's lap belts squeaked by "safety regulators" in the first place. Kudos to Dr. Roberts for pointing out that Americans no longer care if someone has the reputation of being a crook.
Thursday, May 22, 2014
Media protecting Toyota in fatal day care crash
Regarding last month's fatal accident at a Florida day care, the facts are simple:
* The official diagram of the accident confirms that the vehicle - a Solara - that crashed into a Florida day care last month could not possibly have been shoved into the day care by the vehicle which hit it from behind. The Solara took off at an angle back toward the direction from which it was hit.
* Damages to the rear of the Solara and the front of the vehicle that struck it from behind are minor. Not nearly enough force involved to have propelled the Solara over a curb, across a parking lot, all the way through a wall and completely into the day care. Even if the wall was extensively damaged by termites. Even if geometry and physics hadn't already ruled out such a theory.
* The Solara driver's statements about the brakes not working and the vehicle accelerating on its own are consistent with established facts, all of which are clearly pointing to the likelihood of electronically-induced unintended acceleration.
But...
The guy who hit the Solara has a rap sheet. Not exactly Public Enemy Number One, but Robert Corchado is the perfect candidate for gettin' hit with a rap that isn't by any stretch of the imagination justified. He may be guilty of many things, but evidence related to his latest misadventure shows that other factors were involved when the car he bumped from behind proceeded to plough into a day care, injuring 14 children, killing a four-year-old.
So Mr. Corchado is now being tried and convicted by the "news" media. All the courts will have to do is calculate a sentence.
Concerted efforts to misrepresent the facts got underway immediately after the official diagram of the accident was released. An anonymous, contrived animation popped up - now removed - on YouTube, "demonstrating" - in defiance of the laws of physics - that the Solara was "pushed" into the day care.
Then the news accounts - which had initially headlined the likelihood of unintended acceleration resulting from a defect - started to pretty much ignore the unintended acceleration issue, choosing instead to blabber about Corchado propelling the Solara into the day care. Never mind the official diagram, the Solara driver's statements, or the laws of physics. Time to convince the public that the culprit wasn't Toyota. The culprit was the party with the rap sheet. The party less able to defend itself. The party that qualifies for a public defender.
Media's sudden obsession with Robert Corchado's rap sheet must be a relief to a corporate crook like Toyota. The unintended acceleration issue - still a part of the investigation - is now all but ignored as reports blabber about a miscreant who shoved a vehicle into a day care. Amidst frenzied efforts to focus attention away from Toyota, a second video animation has now appeared, eerily similar to the first one, except the latest one is hardly anonymous. The latest effort - included along with an interview of one of the injured children's parents - is by NBC affiliate WESH2, and isn't even consistent with the Solara's position as depicted in the official diagram of the accident. Someone who visited the day care had this to say:
"Okay...this video is ridiculous. If you look at the building further along on Goldenrod, there are three actual cars in the parking lot in one of those spots today. Note the size of the vehicles...the REAL ones, not the animated ones. Now, compare the animated cars to the actual ones in terms of size. The animated ones are actually based on ratios the size of the building next door! This makes the distance traveled look much shorter when in fact it was quite a distance in terms of car lengths."
This latest video is yet another contrived animation that makes a mockery of common sense, not to mention simple laws of physics.
What on earth is going on in the state that boasts the headquarters of Southeast Toyota?
What prompted news media to suddenly start ignoring one of the central aspects of this tragic crash? To misrepresent the official diagram of the crash with an animated video and start reporting - in the face of conclusive evidence to the contrary - that the Solara was shoved into the day care by Robert Corchado?
In other posts, I've targeted this country's corporate-controlled mainstream media, its censorship as a propaganda arm of the state, and its allegiance to most anything except the truth. Media's response to April's tragic day care crash epitomizes this disgusting state of affairs. It's a repulsive little charade, dropping to a new low with the presentation of a contrived, animated video.
If we had a free press, at least the misdeeds of Robert Corchado and Toyota might be presented in proper perspective. Enter countless cases - hundreds still pending - of wrecked Toyotas associated with deaths, injuries, and accompanying claims of vehicle defects. Enter a guilty verdict in an Oklahoma unintended acceleration case last October where the jury said Toyota displayed reckless disregard for public safety when it designed its electronic throttle control. Toss in federal criminal investigations, record-setting federal fines, lawsuits galore, billion dollar settlements, confidentiality agreements, and an admission - in a federal criminal case - of misleading consumers and a federal regulator about safety defects associated with unintended acceleration.
Compared to the "Toyota Way," Robert Corchado is a small-timer.
* The official diagram of the accident confirms that the vehicle - a Solara - that crashed into a Florida day care last month could not possibly have been shoved into the day care by the vehicle which hit it from behind. The Solara took off at an angle back toward the direction from which it was hit.
* Damages to the rear of the Solara and the front of the vehicle that struck it from behind are minor. Not nearly enough force involved to have propelled the Solara over a curb, across a parking lot, all the way through a wall and completely into the day care. Even if the wall was extensively damaged by termites. Even if geometry and physics hadn't already ruled out such a theory.
* The Solara driver's statements about the brakes not working and the vehicle accelerating on its own are consistent with established facts, all of which are clearly pointing to the likelihood of electronically-induced unintended acceleration.
But...
The guy who hit the Solara has a rap sheet. Not exactly Public Enemy Number One, but Robert Corchado is the perfect candidate for gettin' hit with a rap that isn't by any stretch of the imagination justified. He may be guilty of many things, but evidence related to his latest misadventure shows that other factors were involved when the car he bumped from behind proceeded to plough into a day care, injuring 14 children, killing a four-year-old.
So Mr. Corchado is now being tried and convicted by the "news" media. All the courts will have to do is calculate a sentence.
Concerted efforts to misrepresent the facts got underway immediately after the official diagram of the accident was released. An anonymous, contrived animation popped up - now removed - on YouTube, "demonstrating" - in defiance of the laws of physics - that the Solara was "pushed" into the day care.
Then the news accounts - which had initially headlined the likelihood of unintended acceleration resulting from a defect - started to pretty much ignore the unintended acceleration issue, choosing instead to blabber about Corchado propelling the Solara into the day care. Never mind the official diagram, the Solara driver's statements, or the laws of physics. Time to convince the public that the culprit wasn't Toyota. The culprit was the party with the rap sheet. The party less able to defend itself. The party that qualifies for a public defender.
Media's sudden obsession with Robert Corchado's rap sheet must be a relief to a corporate crook like Toyota. The unintended acceleration issue - still a part of the investigation - is now all but ignored as reports blabber about a miscreant who shoved a vehicle into a day care. Amidst frenzied efforts to focus attention away from Toyota, a second video animation has now appeared, eerily similar to the first one, except the latest one is hardly anonymous. The latest effort - included along with an interview of one of the injured children's parents - is by NBC affiliate WESH2, and isn't even consistent with the Solara's position as depicted in the official diagram of the accident. Someone who visited the day care had this to say:
"Okay...this video is ridiculous. If you look at the building further along on Goldenrod, there are three actual cars in the parking lot in one of those spots today. Note the size of the vehicles...the REAL ones, not the animated ones. Now, compare the animated cars to the actual ones in terms of size. The animated ones are actually based on ratios the size of the building next door! This makes the distance traveled look much shorter when in fact it was quite a distance in terms of car lengths."
This latest video is yet another contrived animation that makes a mockery of common sense, not to mention simple laws of physics.
What on earth is going on in the state that boasts the headquarters of Southeast Toyota?
What prompted news media to suddenly start ignoring one of the central aspects of this tragic crash? To misrepresent the official diagram of the crash with an animated video and start reporting - in the face of conclusive evidence to the contrary - that the Solara was shoved into the day care by Robert Corchado?
In other posts, I've targeted this country's corporate-controlled mainstream media, its censorship as a propaganda arm of the state, and its allegiance to most anything except the truth. Media's response to April's tragic day care crash epitomizes this disgusting state of affairs. It's a repulsive little charade, dropping to a new low with the presentation of a contrived, animated video.
If we had a free press, at least the misdeeds of Robert Corchado and Toyota might be presented in proper perspective. Enter countless cases - hundreds still pending - of wrecked Toyotas associated with deaths, injuries, and accompanying claims of vehicle defects. Enter a guilty verdict in an Oklahoma unintended acceleration case last October where the jury said Toyota displayed reckless disregard for public safety when it designed its electronic throttle control. Toss in federal criminal investigations, record-setting federal fines, lawsuits galore, billion dollar settlements, confidentiality agreements, and an admission - in a federal criminal case - of misleading consumers and a federal regulator about safety defects associated with unintended acceleration.
Compared to the "Toyota Way," Robert Corchado is a small-timer.
Monday, April 14, 2014
NASA physicist warns of unintended acceleration risk in '02-'06 Camrys
"A case of a Toyota with galloping acceleration — but not a fully open throttle — was attributed to tin whiskers. And Leidecker pointed out that Toyota redesigned its pedal sensor in 2007 and again in 2008, expressly to eliminate the risk of tin whiskers. Why would it do that if tin whiskers were never a problem? he asked. Toyota did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Leidecker said he believes the tin whisker risk remains for Toyotas in model years 2002-2006. While the risk is small, it increases with time. 'It’s a game of Russian roulette,' he said."
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 4/5/2014 article, "A Carbondale professor, runaway Toyotas, and the hunt for 'tin whiskers'"
So you'd think Toyota, NHTSA and the Department of Justice would be anxious to learn more. You'd think Toyota would be concerned enough to advise Camry owners accordingly, and issue a recall for those models to update the pedal sensors.
But you'd be wrong.
Instead, our tacky little corporate-controlled government and its good friend Toyota are trying to keep things quiet about any electronics involvement in the unintended acceleration scandal. So when the St. Louis Post-Dispatch repeatedly asked Toyota to comment on Dr. Leidecker's remarks, the Recall King - in typical, highhanded, "Toyota Way" fashion - smugly refused to respond. Reminds ya of the "Department of Justice" e-mailing a curt "No comment" when trade journal EE Times' freelance writer David Benjamin asked 'em if they'd ever heard of embedded systems expert Michael Barr finding bugs in Toyota's electronic throttle control. Congress has done no more than display some grand theatrics, and NHTSA (No Help To Solve Anything) had the unmitigated gall to bow out of the unintended acceleration issue by broadcasting the now-obvious lie that NASA had ruled out electronics.
"No comment" indeed. Not to mention lies.
People's lives are at stake. Compelling evidence of defects in Toyota's electronic throttle control has been produced. How dare this corporate-controlled slob of a government - Repukes and Demagogues alike - and its good friend Toyota remain aloof. Refuse to even acknowledge the issue, and have its mainstream-media stooges do likewise. In what sense do we have a free press when consumers have to depend on trade journals to reveal the facts? The St. Louis Post-Dispatch is to be commended for daring to take a step in the right direction.
The scam regarding '02-'06 Camrys is apparent in this interview with the owner of a 2005 model, justifiably unhappy with the chump change she got in Toyota's much-ballyhooed billion dollar, class-action economic loss settlement. Toyota (!) "never determined that sudden acceleration was the reason her vehicle crashed." Never mind, of course, that '02-'06 Camrys have an exceptionally high rate of unintended acceleration complaints.
Talk about a racket.
BIG BUCKS for attorneys. CHUMP CHANGE AND BALD-FACED LIES for consumers, who never shoulda had to file lawsuits in the first place. Worse yet, much of Toyota's "settlement" money is earmarked for "safety research" that blames drivers for unintended acceleration. Settlements the "Toyota Way" cleverly promote the myth of driver error, while creating a database of misleading information that the Recall King can blabber about in future cases of runaway Toyotas.
It's about time consumers demanded a bit of fundamental fairness outta dishonest corporate slobs like Toyota, GM, and their government mouthpieces.
Update 4/18/2014 - The '05 Camry case referenced below targeted "tin whiskers" and software. No wonder the Recall King reached a settlement :-)
Update 4/17/2014 -
> This just in: "Attorney: Family of dead motorist, Toyota reach settlement in Flint sudden acceleration suit." As word of Dr. Leidecker's concern leaks out, Toyota is probably in a BIG hurry to settle as many lawsuits as possible involving '02-'06 Camrys. NHTSA, where are ya?
> Found some background on the above case. One of the victim's children summed things up quite well: "The 2005 Camry should have been one of the first ones to be in the recall," said Lilia Alberto. "How many more deaths do they want to have before they have to put it in the recall?"
> This 2/8/10 article shows that Toyota's electronic throttle control was blamed from the get go. "Eric Synder, a lawyer for the family, told the Times, 'We think Toyota has a safety problem with the electronic throttle control system in Camrys and other Toyota models."'
> One more background article - from 6/1/12 - aptly titled "Toyota Owners Forced to Continue Driving Ticking Time Bombs"
Update 4/15/2014 - A German firm has published some interesting revelations about tin whiskers: http://www.dguv.de/ifa/Praxishilfen/Zinnwhisker-auf-Leiterplatten/index-2.jsp
Leidecker said he believes the tin whisker risk remains for Toyotas in model years 2002-2006. While the risk is small, it increases with time. 'It’s a game of Russian roulette,' he said."
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 4/5/2014 article, "A Carbondale professor, runaway Toyotas, and the hunt for 'tin whiskers'"
So you'd think Toyota, NHTSA and the Department of Justice would be anxious to learn more. You'd think Toyota would be concerned enough to advise Camry owners accordingly, and issue a recall for those models to update the pedal sensors.
But you'd be wrong.
Instead, our tacky little corporate-controlled government and its good friend Toyota are trying to keep things quiet about any electronics involvement in the unintended acceleration scandal. So when the St. Louis Post-Dispatch repeatedly asked Toyota to comment on Dr. Leidecker's remarks, the Recall King - in typical, highhanded, "Toyota Way" fashion - smugly refused to respond. Reminds ya of the "Department of Justice" e-mailing a curt "No comment" when trade journal EE Times' freelance writer David Benjamin asked 'em if they'd ever heard of embedded systems expert Michael Barr finding bugs in Toyota's electronic throttle control. Congress has done no more than display some grand theatrics, and NHTSA (No Help To Solve Anything) had the unmitigated gall to bow out of the unintended acceleration issue by broadcasting the now-obvious lie that NASA had ruled out electronics.
"No comment" indeed. Not to mention lies.
People's lives are at stake. Compelling evidence of defects in Toyota's electronic throttle control has been produced. How dare this corporate-controlled slob of a government - Repukes and Demagogues alike - and its good friend Toyota remain aloof. Refuse to even acknowledge the issue, and have its mainstream-media stooges do likewise. In what sense do we have a free press when consumers have to depend on trade journals to reveal the facts? The St. Louis Post-Dispatch is to be commended for daring to take a step in the right direction.
The scam regarding '02-'06 Camrys is apparent in this interview with the owner of a 2005 model, justifiably unhappy with the chump change she got in Toyota's much-ballyhooed billion dollar, class-action economic loss settlement. Toyota (!) "never determined that sudden acceleration was the reason her vehicle crashed." Never mind, of course, that '02-'06 Camrys have an exceptionally high rate of unintended acceleration complaints.
Talk about a racket.
BIG BUCKS for attorneys. CHUMP CHANGE AND BALD-FACED LIES for consumers, who never shoulda had to file lawsuits in the first place. Worse yet, much of Toyota's "settlement" money is earmarked for "safety research" that blames drivers for unintended acceleration. Settlements the "Toyota Way" cleverly promote the myth of driver error, while creating a database of misleading information that the Recall King can blabber about in future cases of runaway Toyotas.
It's about time consumers demanded a bit of fundamental fairness outta dishonest corporate slobs like Toyota, GM, and their government mouthpieces.
Update 4/18/2014 - The '05 Camry case referenced below targeted "tin whiskers" and software. No wonder the Recall King reached a settlement :-)
Update 4/17/2014 -
> This just in: "Attorney: Family of dead motorist, Toyota reach settlement in Flint sudden acceleration suit." As word of Dr. Leidecker's concern leaks out, Toyota is probably in a BIG hurry to settle as many lawsuits as possible involving '02-'06 Camrys. NHTSA, where are ya?
> Found some background on the above case. One of the victim's children summed things up quite well: "The 2005 Camry should have been one of the first ones to be in the recall," said Lilia Alberto. "How many more deaths do they want to have before they have to put it in the recall?"
> This 2/8/10 article shows that Toyota's electronic throttle control was blamed from the get go. "Eric Synder, a lawyer for the family, told the Times, 'We think Toyota has a safety problem with the electronic throttle control system in Camrys and other Toyota models."'
> One more background article - from 6/1/12 - aptly titled "Toyota Owners Forced to Continue Driving Ticking Time Bombs"
Update 4/15/2014 - A German firm has published some interesting revelations about tin whiskers: http://www.dguv.de/ifa/Praxishilfen/Zinnwhisker-auf-Leiterplatten/index-2.jsp
Friday, March 21, 2014
Feds' billion dollar deal protects Toyota
Talk about a slap on the wrist. Ol' corporate-controlled puppet Uncle Scam has done it again for his bosom buddy Toyota. What a racket. What a sham.
First off, by what rhyme or reason is anyone allowed to buy their way out of a criminal investigation? So much for the public interest. And second, what kinda brainwashed individual is it that thinks Toyota is being punished? Like previous "punishments" - wet noodled by NHTSA - the dollar amount - this time comin' to $1.2 billion - is only "staggering" to most individuals. The feds are well aware that Toyota is a filthy-rich corporation with a cash stash of 60 - SIXTY - billion bucks.
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder rants about what Toyota has done, noting the criminal charge, Toyota's admission of wrongdoing, etc. Problem is, there's no serious effort to discipline the Recall King. Nowhere is there even any mention of the name Michael Barr. Who's that again? Michael Barr? Oh... you mean the world renowned computer expert who found bugs in Toyota's electronic throttle control software? The guy whose findings prompted the billion dollar economic loss settlement in December of 2012, and the landmark guilty verdict in Toyota's sudden unintended acceleration case in Oklahoma last October where the plaintiff's tires left 150 feet of skid marks? The fella whose findings put Toyota in its current settlement mode regarding all of the remaining cases of sudden unintended acceleration and the federal criminal complaints? Not sure that we've ever heard of him. Or those skid marks. What was that name again?
Really, folks. As complaints of sudden unintended acceleration continue, how utterly ridiculous can a corporate-controlled government get? Rake in a cool billion point two bucks wortha payola for ending a criminal probe, ignore evidence of electronic problems, and hardly scratch the financial surface of a corporate culprit-at-large. It's gotta be hard for mainstream media, NHTSA, and Holder to keep a straight face.
We haven't heard the end of Toyota's problems with sudden unintended acceleration. Word is leaking out about Mr. Barr's findings. His peers, trade journals, whistleblowers, and bloggers are filling in the blanks left by mainstream media. End of this month, Mr. Barr will be the featured guest at an EE Times conference. Stay tuned.
Update 3/21/2014 - As Toyota's government friends rake in payola for droppin' the criminal probe, here's the kinda chump change CONSUMERS are gettin' in Toyota's billion dollar class-action settlement for economic loss associated with claims of sudden unintended acceleration: http://www.wcpo.com/money/consumer/dont-waste-your-money/tri-state-residents-unhappy-over-toyota-settlement-over-faulty-acceleration
Updates 3/27/2014 -
> Found an excellent article - the only one I know of published by anything close to mainstream media - that gives comprehensive coverage of the Oklahoma case and puts Toyota's problems with sudden unintended acceleration in proper perspective: http://www.sddt.com/Commentary/article.cfm?SourceCode=20131104tbc&Commentary_ID=140&_t=Software+bugs+found+to+be+cause+of+Toyota+acceleration+death
Since Toyota whistleblower Betsy Benjaminson is mentioned in the above referenced article, here's a closer look at Betsy and her struggles to reveal the truth: http://www.timesofisrael.com/high-price-but-no-regrets-for-israels-gutsy-toyota-whistle-blower/
> Mainstream media's rush to defend Toyota has become so outlandish, the Columbia Journalism Review has published an article addressing the issue: http://www.cjr.org/the_audit/the_toyota_skeptics.php?page=1
First off, by what rhyme or reason is anyone allowed to buy their way out of a criminal investigation? So much for the public interest. And second, what kinda brainwashed individual is it that thinks Toyota is being punished? Like previous "punishments" - wet noodled by NHTSA - the dollar amount - this time comin' to $1.2 billion - is only "staggering" to most individuals. The feds are well aware that Toyota is a filthy-rich corporation with a cash stash of 60 - SIXTY - billion bucks.
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder rants about what Toyota has done, noting the criminal charge, Toyota's admission of wrongdoing, etc. Problem is, there's no serious effort to discipline the Recall King. Nowhere is there even any mention of the name Michael Barr. Who's that again? Michael Barr? Oh... you mean the world renowned computer expert who found bugs in Toyota's electronic throttle control software? The guy whose findings prompted the billion dollar economic loss settlement in December of 2012, and the landmark guilty verdict in Toyota's sudden unintended acceleration case in Oklahoma last October where the plaintiff's tires left 150 feet of skid marks? The fella whose findings put Toyota in its current settlement mode regarding all of the remaining cases of sudden unintended acceleration and the federal criminal complaints? Not sure that we've ever heard of him. Or those skid marks. What was that name again?
Really, folks. As complaints of sudden unintended acceleration continue, how utterly ridiculous can a corporate-controlled government get? Rake in a cool billion point two bucks wortha payola for ending a criminal probe, ignore evidence of electronic problems, and hardly scratch the financial surface of a corporate culprit-at-large. It's gotta be hard for mainstream media, NHTSA, and Holder to keep a straight face.
We haven't heard the end of Toyota's problems with sudden unintended acceleration. Word is leaking out about Mr. Barr's findings. His peers, trade journals, whistleblowers, and bloggers are filling in the blanks left by mainstream media. End of this month, Mr. Barr will be the featured guest at an EE Times conference. Stay tuned.
Update 3/21/2014 - As Toyota's government friends rake in payola for droppin' the criminal probe, here's the kinda chump change CONSUMERS are gettin' in Toyota's billion dollar class-action settlement for economic loss associated with claims of sudden unintended acceleration: http://www.wcpo.com/money/consumer/dont-waste-your-money/tri-state-residents-unhappy-over-toyota-settlement-over-faulty-acceleration
Updates 3/27/2014 -
> Found an excellent article - the only one I know of published by anything close to mainstream media - that gives comprehensive coverage of the Oklahoma case and puts Toyota's problems with sudden unintended acceleration in proper perspective: http://www.sddt.com/Commentary/article.cfm?SourceCode=20131104tbc&Commentary_ID=140&_t=Software+bugs+found+to+be+cause+of+Toyota+acceleration+death
Since Toyota whistleblower Betsy Benjaminson is mentioned in the above referenced article, here's a closer look at Betsy and her struggles to reveal the truth: http://www.timesofisrael.com/high-price-but-no-regrets-for-israels-gutsy-toyota-whistle-blower/
> Mainstream media's rush to defend Toyota has become so outlandish, the Columbia Journalism Review has published an article addressing the issue: http://www.cjr.org/the_audit/the_toyota_skeptics.php?page=1
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Jailed Toyota driver deserves punitive damages
If anyone ever deserved a punitive damage award, it's Koua Fong Lee, the financially-challenged immigrant who was falsely imprisoned for two years after his Toyota Camry sped out of control, resulting in multiple deaths and injuries. Amidst publicity regarding Toyota's problems with sudden unintended acceleration, charges were finally dropped, and Lee was released. That's all well and good.
However...
As Lee weighed his legal options, something very strange took place. Rather than pursue a separate lawsuit against Toyota, Lee joined the lawsuit launched by other victims of the accident in exchange for forfeiting his right to claim punitive damages. I was puzzled at the time, and remain even more puzzled now that the Recall King - prompted by a jury's guilty verdict in an Oklahoma sudden unintended acceleration case - is rushing to reach a "global settlement" involving all sudden unintended acceleration cases.
Toyota has one whopper of an interest in not allowing juries to determine punitive damages. This was demonstrated in the Oklahoma case when Toyota immediately settled the matter after the guilty verdict was returned. It boils down to millions of dollars worth of "settlement" versus the risk of billions of dollars worth of punitive. The jury in Oklahoma - impressed with expert testimony (not to mention 150 feet of skid marks from the plaintiff's tires) - was fed up with Toyota's shenanigans, stating that Toyota acted with reckless disregard. Not surprising that the Recall King didn't want those folks assessing punitive damages in a death case.
So if the jury in Oklahoma was fed up, wonder what a jury's response would likely be regarding multiple deaths and injuries, and a Toyota driver who wound up in prison for two years before finally being cleared of all charges. A lawsuit from Lee - including the prospect of punitive damages - would have indeed been risky business for the Recall King.
Lee's case had already made headlines due to the horrific nature of the accident. And as Toyota's problems with sudden unintended acceleration continued to draw public attention, an imprisoned Toyota driver claiming that his Camry suddenly sped out of control was an ever-increasing liability for the Recall King. Lee has never wavered on that crucial point. Prison isn't pretty - Lee has recurring nightmares - and the specter of a jury one day assessing punitive damages was a ghost to be reckoned with. Lee's case weighed heavily in a D.A.'s decision to drop charges against a Lexus driver.
Lee's case - still not resolved - raises troubling questions. Not only about Toyota (now being allowed to buy its way out of a federal criminal investigation), but about a legal system that imprisons penniless immigrants on trumped-up charges, is forced to admit the error, and then protects corporate interests by taking away the right to seek punitive damages.
Something is heinously wrong with this picture.
However...
As Lee weighed his legal options, something very strange took place. Rather than pursue a separate lawsuit against Toyota, Lee joined the lawsuit launched by other victims of the accident in exchange for forfeiting his right to claim punitive damages. I was puzzled at the time, and remain even more puzzled now that the Recall King - prompted by a jury's guilty verdict in an Oklahoma sudden unintended acceleration case - is rushing to reach a "global settlement" involving all sudden unintended acceleration cases.
Toyota has one whopper of an interest in not allowing juries to determine punitive damages. This was demonstrated in the Oklahoma case when Toyota immediately settled the matter after the guilty verdict was returned. It boils down to millions of dollars worth of "settlement" versus the risk of billions of dollars worth of punitive. The jury in Oklahoma - impressed with expert testimony (not to mention 150 feet of skid marks from the plaintiff's tires) - was fed up with Toyota's shenanigans, stating that Toyota acted with reckless disregard. Not surprising that the Recall King didn't want those folks assessing punitive damages in a death case.
So if the jury in Oklahoma was fed up, wonder what a jury's response would likely be regarding multiple deaths and injuries, and a Toyota driver who wound up in prison for two years before finally being cleared of all charges. A lawsuit from Lee - including the prospect of punitive damages - would have indeed been risky business for the Recall King.
Lee's case had already made headlines due to the horrific nature of the accident. And as Toyota's problems with sudden unintended acceleration continued to draw public attention, an imprisoned Toyota driver claiming that his Camry suddenly sped out of control was an ever-increasing liability for the Recall King. Lee has never wavered on that crucial point. Prison isn't pretty - Lee has recurring nightmares - and the specter of a jury one day assessing punitive damages was a ghost to be reckoned with. Lee's case weighed heavily in a D.A.'s decision to drop charges against a Lexus driver.
Lee's case - still not resolved - raises troubling questions. Not only about Toyota (now being allowed to buy its way out of a federal criminal investigation), but about a legal system that imprisons penniless immigrants on trumped-up charges, is forced to admit the error, and then protects corporate interests by taking away the right to seek punitive damages.
Something is heinously wrong with this picture.
Friday, February 21, 2014
Software-related recalls, police-state press, federal criminal investigation being bought off
No wonder renowned software expert Michael Barr found bugs in Toyota's software causing sudden unintended acceleration. Toyota's latest recalls involve defective software in the Prius, RAV4, Tacoma, and Lexus RX350. Some of the software issues affect anti-lock brakes, stability control, and traction control. Meanwhile, Toyota is in talks with NHTSA regarding another recall involving computer-related brake problems in Camry Hybrids. Software glitches galore. Whew.
Sayin' Recall King Toyota is now in "settlement mode" is an understatement. Toyota is apparently on the verge of forkin' over sumpthin' in the range of a billion dollars to put an end to the federal criminal investigation - begun four years ago - into Toyota's reporting procedures - or the lack thereof - regarding sudden unintended acceleration.
Actions speak louder than words. After the guilty verdict in the Oklahoma sudden unintended acceleration case, the Recall King rushes into court seeking a "global" settlement for hundreds of remaining civil suits involving sudden unintended acceleration. And now there's this sudden interest in concluding the federal criminal investigation involving not only reporting procedures, but also such niceties as lying to Congress, mail fraud, wire fraud, and whether stockholders were misled. Of course, mainstream media reports regarding another billion dollar settlement carefully omit any mention of Michael Barr findings, and Reuters banned me from commenting - on any of their articles - long ago.
It looks like Toyota will again be permitted to settle up without any troublesome guilty pleas or admitting to any wrongdoing. Might as well go all the way if yer gonna let someone buy their way out of a criminal investigation. And the issue of ongoing instances of sudden unintended acceleration - have software revisions, safeguards, etc. been put in place? - is being buried along with Michael Barr's findings. Amidst a barrage of misleading media reports, I applaud Mr. Barr for setting the record straight - especially insofar as the much ballyhooed "NASA investigation" is concerned - by publishing an update regarding Toyota's sudden unintended acceleration issue. As he points out, reports of sudden unintended acceleration in Toyotas are continuing.
Really, folks. If Toyota behaves in such a manner regarding undisputed safety issues, how have they been behaving about such things as oil-sludged engines and those pesky pre-cat problems - costing customers the better part of $10,000 - in MR2 Spyders? There's been a news blackout for years regarding thousands of signatures petitioning Akio to make amends for unresolved oil sludge issues.
Why should anyone be allowed to buy their way out of a criminal investigation? Mainstream media efforts to mislead the public about Toyota are poppin' up everywhere, with glaring omissions about the evidence Michael Barr found that led to the billion dollar Toyota economic loss settlement in December of 2012 - the largest such settlement in automotive history - and the guilty verdict last October in the sudden unintended acceleration case in Oklahoma. Revelations regarding the findings of an internationally acclaimed software expert (along with any mention of that pesky evidence of 150 feet of skid marks from the Oklahoma plaintiff's tires) are left to casual bloggers, trade journals, and a few comments on the Internet.
A prime example of the kinda sheer hogwash bein' bandied about by mainstream media is this putrid peice of "journalism" by Forbes staffer Daniel Fisher. What's "begged" is the question, "Do we really want to tolerate a corporate-controlled media instead of a free press?" Fisher n Forbes - "a jury's whim" indeed - don't dare discuss Michael Barr's findings. Not even a mention of his name. In the comments - at least they let me join in - I was "called out" by Mr. Fisher for referring to Mr. Barr's findings and the ongoing news blackout. Certainly better than the reaction I got from USA Today and Bloomberg. Bloomberg n USA Today simply removed my comment. Whenever I put the cursor in the comment box on USA Today's website, the word "false" would briefly appear. I encountered similar things years ago on Twitter when I started sending out tweets critical of Toyota.
Don't view this YouTube video on a full stomach if you're aware of Michael Barr's recent findings. Fox News' "interview" is repulsively theatrical, aimed at making the public think there's no evidence of bugs in Toyota's software causing sudden unintended acceleration.
Take a close look at what Michael Barr has to say about his findings, and check out his credentials. Is anyone surprised that Toyota is runnin' scared?
Sayin' Recall King Toyota is now in "settlement mode" is an understatement. Toyota is apparently on the verge of forkin' over sumpthin' in the range of a billion dollars to put an end to the federal criminal investigation - begun four years ago - into Toyota's reporting procedures - or the lack thereof - regarding sudden unintended acceleration.
Actions speak louder than words. After the guilty verdict in the Oklahoma sudden unintended acceleration case, the Recall King rushes into court seeking a "global" settlement for hundreds of remaining civil suits involving sudden unintended acceleration. And now there's this sudden interest in concluding the federal criminal investigation involving not only reporting procedures, but also such niceties as lying to Congress, mail fraud, wire fraud, and whether stockholders were misled. Of course, mainstream media reports regarding another billion dollar settlement carefully omit any mention of Michael Barr findings, and Reuters banned me from commenting - on any of their articles - long ago.
It looks like Toyota will again be permitted to settle up without any troublesome guilty pleas or admitting to any wrongdoing. Might as well go all the way if yer gonna let someone buy their way out of a criminal investigation. And the issue of ongoing instances of sudden unintended acceleration - have software revisions, safeguards, etc. been put in place? - is being buried along with Michael Barr's findings. Amidst a barrage of misleading media reports, I applaud Mr. Barr for setting the record straight - especially insofar as the much ballyhooed "NASA investigation" is concerned - by publishing an update regarding Toyota's sudden unintended acceleration issue. As he points out, reports of sudden unintended acceleration in Toyotas are continuing.
Really, folks. If Toyota behaves in such a manner regarding undisputed safety issues, how have they been behaving about such things as oil-sludged engines and those pesky pre-cat problems - costing customers the better part of $10,000 - in MR2 Spyders? There's been a news blackout for years regarding thousands of signatures petitioning Akio to make amends for unresolved oil sludge issues.
Why should anyone be allowed to buy their way out of a criminal investigation? Mainstream media efforts to mislead the public about Toyota are poppin' up everywhere, with glaring omissions about the evidence Michael Barr found that led to the billion dollar Toyota economic loss settlement in December of 2012 - the largest such settlement in automotive history - and the guilty verdict last October in the sudden unintended acceleration case in Oklahoma. Revelations regarding the findings of an internationally acclaimed software expert (along with any mention of that pesky evidence of 150 feet of skid marks from the Oklahoma plaintiff's tires) are left to casual bloggers, trade journals, and a few comments on the Internet.
A prime example of the kinda sheer hogwash bein' bandied about by mainstream media is this putrid peice of "journalism" by Forbes staffer Daniel Fisher. What's "begged" is the question, "Do we really want to tolerate a corporate-controlled media instead of a free press?" Fisher n Forbes - "a jury's whim" indeed - don't dare discuss Michael Barr's findings. Not even a mention of his name. In the comments - at least they let me join in - I was "called out" by Mr. Fisher for referring to Mr. Barr's findings and the ongoing news blackout. Certainly better than the reaction I got from USA Today and Bloomberg. Bloomberg n USA Today simply removed my comment. Whenever I put the cursor in the comment box on USA Today's website, the word "false" would briefly appear. I encountered similar things years ago on Twitter when I started sending out tweets critical of Toyota.
Don't view this YouTube video on a full stomach if you're aware of Michael Barr's recent findings. Fox News' "interview" is repulsively theatrical, aimed at making the public think there's no evidence of bugs in Toyota's software causing sudden unintended acceleration.
Take a close look at what Michael Barr has to say about his findings, and check out his credentials. Is anyone surprised that Toyota is runnin' scared?
Thursday, February 6, 2014
NEWS BLACKOUT re bugs in Toyota's software causing sudden unintended acceleration
"Anyone who wastes their time on the US media is a brainwashed idiot, a danger to humanity." Dr. Paul Craig Roberts, former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, from his article, "America Totally Discredited."
National disgrace when consumers have to depend on trade journals, bloggers, and social media for the facts. Especially when it's a matter of life and death.
Renowned computer expert Michael Barr spent 18 months examining Toyota's software relevant to sudden unintended acceleration. His findings convinced an Oklahoma jury to find Toyota guilty, underscored with a declaration that the Recall King acted with "reckless disregard" in its response to a faulty electronic throttle system. The jury was ready to calculate punitive damages when the Recall King suddenly saw fit to settle, avoiding what may well have been punishment consistent with the kinda stuff levied against big tobacco. The kinda stuff Toyota's friends in Congress and NHTSA shoulda come up with years ago. Punishment based on the wealth of the corporation as opposed to amplified slaps on wrist designed to wow the average consumer. A gang like Toyota needs what they were likely on the verge of gettin' in Oklahoma: a woodsheddin' in the billions 'steada the millions.
The Recall King is hastily moving to settle hundreds of remaining cases - can anyone imagine why? - in a "global settlement" given the green light by our ever vigilant legal system. Conjures up recollections of corrupt corporations too big to fail, surviving at the public's expense. But this time, more than money is at stake.
An at-risk public has a right to know about the incriminating evidence Mr. Barr found. Especially since other computer experts are speaking out in favor of his conclusions. This is not the time for silence in the name of protecting Toyota. This is the time for fundamental fairness to the public. As with engine failures in MR2 Spyders, such fairness certainly hasn't been offered by Toyota. And regarding sudden unintended acceleration, not by Congress, and not by NHTSA. Dirty rotten shame when the taxpayin' public has to uncover facts and seek recourse through expensive, time-consuming, emotionally draining lawsuits because government agencies are beholden to the industries they're presumably set up to regulate.
Where is our "free" press? Why haven't there been lengthy articles focusing on the gist of what happened in Oklahoma? Headlines making sure an at-risk public can put in proper perspective Toyota's sudden rush to settle hundreds of remaining lawsuits involving sudden unintended acceleration. Adding insult to injury, a USA Today article - ostensibly addressing Toyota's current problems with heated seats - made it sound like the sudden unintended acceleration issue had been conclusively related to nothing more than driver error, floor mats and sticking gas pedals. Hard to believe such stories - how many more are being circulated? - are published out of ignorance. I sent e-mails to reporters with Minnesota's Pioneer Press and Star Tribune newspapers, both of which took keen interest when efforts were made to get local resident Koua Fong Lee out of prison after his Toyota sped out of control, people died, and the economically challenged immigrant was railroaded. I suggested followups informing the public of Michael Barr's findings and any bearing they might have on Lee's lawsuit, which the Recall King is trying to get dismissed. My e-mails were ignored. Reuters continues to ban me from commenting, and then there's this "story" about the University of Iowa's $17.2 million "driving safety research" grant. Another bona fide hack job, making it appear as though sudden unintended acceleration is all about driver error. No mention of Michael Barr's findings, and no reply to my e-mail explaining that it's time for media to quit focusing on "driver error." The "grant," incidentally, came via Toyota's "settlement" for economic loss claims over sudden unintended acceleration. And that settlement too was prompted by Michael Barr's findings.
In a superb article, "Toyota's killer firmware: Bad design and its consequences," Michael Dunn, writing for engineering journal Design News, provides a summary of Mr. Barr's findings:
It will be interesting to see the "presstitute" media's response - or lack thereof - to the upcoming EE Times conference featuring a keynote address by none other than Michael Barr himself. Evidence of the respect Mr. Barr's colleagues have for his conclusions about Toyota's software. An occasion that should make national news, top spot. But don't hold your breath.
Next thing ya know, it'll be said that America is nothin' more than a tacky little corporate-controlled police state.
Update 2/7/2014 - Thanks to #Whistleblower Daily News for headlining this post.
Update 2/10/2014 - Toyota is reported to be on the verge of a billion dollar settlement to end the federal criminal investigation involving reporting procedures for sudden unintended acceleration complaints, concerns about mail fraud, wire fraud, and whether stockholders were misled. Nothin' like buyin' yer way outta hot water. Stay tuned.
Update 2/11/2014 - Minnesota's Star Tribune newspaper - referenced in this blog post - is refusing to publish a comment I submitted this morning (it's now 4:50 PM EST) exposing the news blackout regarding Michael Barr finding bugs in Toyota's software causing sudden unintended acceleration.
Updates 2/12/2014 -
> Software problems have now prompted a major Prius recall. Other models are also on the list, and some of the issues involve SKID control. Toyota's software problems sure are lending credence to Michael Barr's findings. Bloomberg has removed a comment I made to that effect a few moments ago regarding their article about the Prius recall. Bloomberg's censorship of my comments is nothin' new.
> My comment putting Toyota's current software problems in proper perspective re USA Today's article is being repeatedly removed. Toyota can't stand the truth.
National disgrace when consumers have to depend on trade journals, bloggers, and social media for the facts. Especially when it's a matter of life and death.
Renowned computer expert Michael Barr spent 18 months examining Toyota's software relevant to sudden unintended acceleration. His findings convinced an Oklahoma jury to find Toyota guilty, underscored with a declaration that the Recall King acted with "reckless disregard" in its response to a faulty electronic throttle system. The jury was ready to calculate punitive damages when the Recall King suddenly saw fit to settle, avoiding what may well have been punishment consistent with the kinda stuff levied against big tobacco. The kinda stuff Toyota's friends in Congress and NHTSA shoulda come up with years ago. Punishment based on the wealth of the corporation as opposed to amplified slaps on wrist designed to wow the average consumer. A gang like Toyota needs what they were likely on the verge of gettin' in Oklahoma: a woodsheddin' in the billions 'steada the millions.
The Recall King is hastily moving to settle hundreds of remaining cases - can anyone imagine why? - in a "global settlement" given the green light by our ever vigilant legal system. Conjures up recollections of corrupt corporations too big to fail, surviving at the public's expense. But this time, more than money is at stake.
An at-risk public has a right to know about the incriminating evidence Mr. Barr found. Especially since other computer experts are speaking out in favor of his conclusions. This is not the time for silence in the name of protecting Toyota. This is the time for fundamental fairness to the public. As with engine failures in MR2 Spyders, such fairness certainly hasn't been offered by Toyota. And regarding sudden unintended acceleration, not by Congress, and not by NHTSA. Dirty rotten shame when the taxpayin' public has to uncover facts and seek recourse through expensive, time-consuming, emotionally draining lawsuits because government agencies are beholden to the industries they're presumably set up to regulate.
Where is our "free" press? Why haven't there been lengthy articles focusing on the gist of what happened in Oklahoma? Headlines making sure an at-risk public can put in proper perspective Toyota's sudden rush to settle hundreds of remaining lawsuits involving sudden unintended acceleration. Adding insult to injury, a USA Today article - ostensibly addressing Toyota's current problems with heated seats - made it sound like the sudden unintended acceleration issue had been conclusively related to nothing more than driver error, floor mats and sticking gas pedals. Hard to believe such stories - how many more are being circulated? - are published out of ignorance. I sent e-mails to reporters with Minnesota's Pioneer Press and Star Tribune newspapers, both of which took keen interest when efforts were made to get local resident Koua Fong Lee out of prison after his Toyota sped out of control, people died, and the economically challenged immigrant was railroaded. I suggested followups informing the public of Michael Barr's findings and any bearing they might have on Lee's lawsuit, which the Recall King is trying to get dismissed. My e-mails were ignored. Reuters continues to ban me from commenting, and then there's this "story" about the University of Iowa's $17.2 million "driving safety research" grant. Another bona fide hack job, making it appear as though sudden unintended acceleration is all about driver error. No mention of Michael Barr's findings, and no reply to my e-mail explaining that it's time for media to quit focusing on "driver error." The "grant," incidentally, came via Toyota's "settlement" for economic loss claims over sudden unintended acceleration. And that settlement too was prompted by Michael Barr's findings.
In a superb article, "Toyota's killer firmware: Bad design and its consequences," Michael Dunn, writing for engineering journal Design News, provides a summary of Mr. Barr's findings:
- Toyota’s electronic throttle control system (ETCS) source code is of unreasonable quality.
- Toyota’s source code is defective and contains bugs, including bugs that can cause unintended acceleration (UA).
- Code-quality metrics predict presence of additional bugs.
- Toyota’s fail safes are defective and inadequate (referring to them as a “house of cards” safety architecture).
- Misbehaviors of Toyota’s ETCS are a cause of UA.
It will be interesting to see the "presstitute" media's response - or lack thereof - to the upcoming EE Times conference featuring a keynote address by none other than Michael Barr himself. Evidence of the respect Mr. Barr's colleagues have for his conclusions about Toyota's software. An occasion that should make national news, top spot. But don't hold your breath.
Next thing ya know, it'll be said that America is nothin' more than a tacky little corporate-controlled police state.
Update 2/7/2014 - Thanks to #Whistleblower Daily News for headlining this post.
Update 2/10/2014 - Toyota is reported to be on the verge of a billion dollar settlement to end the federal criminal investigation involving reporting procedures for sudden unintended acceleration complaints, concerns about mail fraud, wire fraud, and whether stockholders were misled. Nothin' like buyin' yer way outta hot water. Stay tuned.
Update 2/11/2014 - Minnesota's Star Tribune newspaper - referenced in this blog post - is refusing to publish a comment I submitted this morning (it's now 4:50 PM EST) exposing the news blackout regarding Michael Barr finding bugs in Toyota's software causing sudden unintended acceleration.
Updates 2/12/2014 -
> Software problems have now prompted a major Prius recall. Other models are also on the list, and some of the issues involve SKID control. Toyota's software problems sure are lending credence to Michael Barr's findings. Bloomberg has removed a comment I made to that effect a few moments ago regarding their article about the Prius recall. Bloomberg's censorship of my comments is nothin' new.
> My comment putting Toyota's current software problems in proper perspective re USA Today's article is being repeatedly removed. Toyota can't stand the truth.
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Hardware and/or software problem exposed in Camry Hybrid brakes
Maybe Michael Barr - the computer expert whose testimony prompted a guilty verdict in the sudden unintended acceleration case in Oklahoma - should be asked to examine the computer issues associated with brake failures in '07 and '08 Camry gas-electric hybrids. Complaints to NHTSA are increasing.
Pesky little problem. Seems those "trouble codes" don't necessarily show up. Kinda reminds ya of instances of sudden unintended acceleration. Brings to mind motorists in runaway cars insisting that they had both feet on the brake pedal.
In one of the complaints to NHTSA, after a dealer finally said there was a problem with the brake control computer, the owner wrote that “Toyota is behaving immoral not recalling the faulty parts that in many cases cannot even be diagnosed.” Hmm... "Difficulties" diagnosing a problem, blabber about "computer codes," and accusations that Toyota is somewhat less than a paragon of morality. Sound familiar? Next thing ya know, Toyota will be blamin' the problem on floor mats, and customers getting the brake pedal confused with the accelerator.
Not to worry. Toyota says they're "cooperating with NHTSA." Problem is, there's growing evidence of a bit too much "cooperation" twixt NHTSA and the Recall King. Sudden unintended acceleration cases ad nauseum, yet it's taken many years and lawsuits galore for the facts to come out. Not to mention deaths, injuries, and one Toyota driver - Koua Fong Lee - who wound up spending years in prison before charges were finally dropped. I'd like to see singer-songwriter Kris Kitko, who produced the superb music video, "Toyota, Where are Ya?" produce a follow-up asking where NHTSA has been all these years.
Things are heatin' up - literally - for the Recall King. NHTSA is considering yet another possible recall, this one associated with the fabric used for heated seats in Camrys and other models. Whew. Will Toyota's parade of defects ever end?
Oh, well. At least everyone can rest assured that NHTSA, our illustrious little government watchdog, will continue to represent the interests of those it serves.
Update 2/1/2014 - Mainstream media is keeping quiet about the evidence of computer problems. AP and Washington Post are the only ones I know of that have mentioned it. Bombshell considering the case in Oklahoma. Should be makin' headlines. As is the case with engine failures in MR2 Spyders, Toyota rakes in big bucks for "servicing" defective products, and has been fined for delays in reporting such items. Consumers have good reason to question how long the Recall King has been aware of the Camry brake issue.
Pesky little problem. Seems those "trouble codes" don't necessarily show up. Kinda reminds ya of instances of sudden unintended acceleration. Brings to mind motorists in runaway cars insisting that they had both feet on the brake pedal.
In one of the complaints to NHTSA, after a dealer finally said there was a problem with the brake control computer, the owner wrote that “Toyota is behaving immoral not recalling the faulty parts that in many cases cannot even be diagnosed.” Hmm... "Difficulties" diagnosing a problem, blabber about "computer codes," and accusations that Toyota is somewhat less than a paragon of morality. Sound familiar? Next thing ya know, Toyota will be blamin' the problem on floor mats, and customers getting the brake pedal confused with the accelerator.
Not to worry. Toyota says they're "cooperating with NHTSA." Problem is, there's growing evidence of a bit too much "cooperation" twixt NHTSA and the Recall King. Sudden unintended acceleration cases ad nauseum, yet it's taken many years and lawsuits galore for the facts to come out. Not to mention deaths, injuries, and one Toyota driver - Koua Fong Lee - who wound up spending years in prison before charges were finally dropped. I'd like to see singer-songwriter Kris Kitko, who produced the superb music video, "Toyota, Where are Ya?" produce a follow-up asking where NHTSA has been all these years.
Things are heatin' up - literally - for the Recall King. NHTSA is considering yet another possible recall, this one associated with the fabric used for heated seats in Camrys and other models. Whew. Will Toyota's parade of defects ever end?
Oh, well. At least everyone can rest assured that NHTSA, our illustrious little government watchdog, will continue to represent the interests of those it serves.
Update 2/1/2014 - Mainstream media is keeping quiet about the evidence of computer problems. AP and Washington Post are the only ones I know of that have mentioned it. Bombshell considering the case in Oklahoma. Should be makin' headlines. As is the case with engine failures in MR2 Spyders, Toyota rakes in big bucks for "servicing" defective products, and has been fined for delays in reporting such items. Consumers have good reason to question how long the Recall King has been aware of the Camry brake issue.
Monday, January 27, 2014
Toyota accused of cover-up regarding software causing sudden unintended acceleration
The founder of the firm that won the big case against Toyota in Oklahoma has produced a video accusing Toyota of a cover-up.
"Toyota knew before the first recalls that there was a problem with the Electronic Throttle Control System, in regards to sudden unintended acceleration, as early as 2004. When you go back and look at the beginning of this problem, they knew about the problem, that's the real tragedy." Jere Beasley, Founder, Beasley Law Firm
No wonder the Recall King now blabbers about needing to be "reborn" in the eyes of its customers. Toyota can talk the talk. But when it comes to walkin' the walk...
Listen up, Akio. "Select shops" don't stonewall about obvious defects that cause engines to suddenly disintegrate, ruin exhaust systems, and deplete customers' bank accounts of the better part of ten thousand dollars. Pocket change to you. Big bucks to most folks. And "select shops" don't make national headlines for every misdeed imaginable, along with a never-ending parade of defects, safety and otherwise. "Select shops" are competent, honest, and treat customers with respect. Toyota is a long way from being viewed as a "select shop" by informed consumers.
The impact of the Oklahoma case cannot be overstated. The Recall King is now in "settlement mode," exemplified by Toyota's response to a sudden unintended acceleration case in West Virginia shortly after the guilty verdict in Oklahoma:
“There seemed to be a pretty clear purpose on Toyota’s part to get a deal done” and keep the case out of court, attorney Edgar “Hike” Heiskell said. “There was a real sense of motivation on that side of the table.” A spokeswoman for Toyota declined comment.
More to the point, Toyota is now rushing to institute a "global settlement that would resolve all of the personal injury and wrongful death product liability cases." Of course, we can expect such a settlement to be structured with Toyota's trademark of confidentiality agreements, thereby keeping incriminating technical data quiet, buttressed with language makin' it crystal clear that the ol' Recall King admits to no wrongdoing. Never mind the ongoing risk to consumers as instances of sudden unintended acceleration continue to make headlines.
Meanwhile, David Strickland, former top dawg at NHTSA, has wormed his way into lobbying for the auto industry:
"We think that the thing industry will be most impressed by was the pass David Strickland gave Toyota's electronics in the Unintended Acceleration crisis. Sure, the government fined Toyota to the max. But the automaker only had to pay penalties for failing to mount timely recalls for floor mat interference and sticky accelerator pedals. NHTSA whitewashed the problems of Toyota's electronic throttle control system."
It's probably no coincidence that Mr. Strickland left NHTSA shortly after Toyota was read the riot act by that jury in Oklahoma. His newfound occupation epitomizes the ol' revolvin' door game, helpin' to insure that unfair business practices continue:
"In perhaps the most glaring case, Toyota staffed up with former NHTSA officials as it faced an inquiry into sudden acceleration in its Toyota and Lexus vehicles. Over 10 years, more motorists died from such accidents in Toyota and Lexus vehicles than in cars from all other manufacturers combined." (Emphasis mine)
Engineers are taking notice of the incriminating evidence against Toyota. The exceptionally well-credentialed Michael Barr, who testified in the Oklahoma case, is scheduled to be the keynote speaker for an EE Times conference set for March 31st through April 3rd.
I just love it when the truth comes out.
Update 2/20/2014 - Actually, the truth came out about Toyota's slick manuevering way back in 2010. "Toyota's deadly secrets" presents a scathing review. "Statistically, Toyota had one speed-control-crash complaint per 20,454 vehicles sold in the United States. This figure is significant when compared to other major auto manufacturers such as Ford: one complaint per 64,679 vehicles; Honda: one complaint per 70,112 vehicles; and General Motors: one complaint per 197,821 vehicles."
"Toyota knew before the first recalls that there was a problem with the Electronic Throttle Control System, in regards to sudden unintended acceleration, as early as 2004. When you go back and look at the beginning of this problem, they knew about the problem, that's the real tragedy." Jere Beasley, Founder, Beasley Law Firm
No wonder the Recall King now blabbers about needing to be "reborn" in the eyes of its customers. Toyota can talk the talk. But when it comes to walkin' the walk...
Listen up, Akio. "Select shops" don't stonewall about obvious defects that cause engines to suddenly disintegrate, ruin exhaust systems, and deplete customers' bank accounts of the better part of ten thousand dollars. Pocket change to you. Big bucks to most folks. And "select shops" don't make national headlines for every misdeed imaginable, along with a never-ending parade of defects, safety and otherwise. "Select shops" are competent, honest, and treat customers with respect. Toyota is a long way from being viewed as a "select shop" by informed consumers.
The impact of the Oklahoma case cannot be overstated. The Recall King is now in "settlement mode," exemplified by Toyota's response to a sudden unintended acceleration case in West Virginia shortly after the guilty verdict in Oklahoma:
“There seemed to be a pretty clear purpose on Toyota’s part to get a deal done” and keep the case out of court, attorney Edgar “Hike” Heiskell said. “There was a real sense of motivation on that side of the table.” A spokeswoman for Toyota declined comment.
More to the point, Toyota is now rushing to institute a "global settlement that would resolve all of the personal injury and wrongful death product liability cases." Of course, we can expect such a settlement to be structured with Toyota's trademark of confidentiality agreements, thereby keeping incriminating technical data quiet, buttressed with language makin' it crystal clear that the ol' Recall King admits to no wrongdoing. Never mind the ongoing risk to consumers as instances of sudden unintended acceleration continue to make headlines.
Meanwhile, David Strickland, former top dawg at NHTSA, has wormed his way into lobbying for the auto industry:
"We think that the thing industry will be most impressed by was the pass David Strickland gave Toyota's electronics in the Unintended Acceleration crisis. Sure, the government fined Toyota to the max. But the automaker only had to pay penalties for failing to mount timely recalls for floor mat interference and sticky accelerator pedals. NHTSA whitewashed the problems of Toyota's electronic throttle control system."
It's probably no coincidence that Mr. Strickland left NHTSA shortly after Toyota was read the riot act by that jury in Oklahoma. His newfound occupation epitomizes the ol' revolvin' door game, helpin' to insure that unfair business practices continue:
"In perhaps the most glaring case, Toyota staffed up with former NHTSA officials as it faced an inquiry into sudden acceleration in its Toyota and Lexus vehicles. Over 10 years, more motorists died from such accidents in Toyota and Lexus vehicles than in cars from all other manufacturers combined." (Emphasis mine)
Engineers are taking notice of the incriminating evidence against Toyota. The exceptionally well-credentialed Michael Barr, who testified in the Oklahoma case, is scheduled to be the keynote speaker for an EE Times conference set for March 31st through April 3rd.
I just love it when the truth comes out.
Update 2/20/2014 - Actually, the truth came out about Toyota's slick manuevering way back in 2010. "Toyota's deadly secrets" presents a scathing review. "Statistically, Toyota had one speed-control-crash complaint per 20,454 vehicles sold in the United States. This figure is significant when compared to other major auto manufacturers such as Ford: one complaint per 64,679 vehicles; Honda: one complaint per 70,112 vehicles; and General Motors: one complaint per 197,821 vehicles."
Friday, January 17, 2014
Toyota guilty verdict renews interest in sudden unintended acceleration
On the heels of a gulty verdict in a sudden unintended acceleration case in Oklahoma, news of an out-of-control Camry, and cops have nixed the notion of driver error. A 2003 Camry took off immediately after the driver - who was parking the vehicle and still had his foot on the brake - heard a loud, metallic bang. The vehicle - which was totalled - crashed through a wall, seriously injuring the driver's wife.
Meanwhile, in another case involving an out-of-control Camry, plaintiffs are being represented by the same law firm that successfully represented the folks in Oklahoma. "Mr. Kitrys’ 2004 Toyota Camry suddenly and without warning surged out of control and he was unable to stop the vehicle. As the uncontrollable Camry approached an intersection and concrete barrier, Mr. Kitrys jumped from the vehicle but received injuries that caused his death."
Let's hope Toyota doesn't "examine" these vehicles unless both sides are present. I remember the case of Koua Fong Lee, wherein Toyota acted like Koua's Camry belonged to them insteada him.
Meanwhile, electrical engineers are speaking out in favor of the Oklahoma verdict, and Shawn Kane of Safety Research and Strategies, Inc. has offered a detailed summary of the trial's technical issues, noting that experts used the term "spaghetti," which is programmer's slang for badly written and badly structured source code. The trial also revealed that back in 2007, even one of Toyota's own programmers had used the term when referring to the engine control application. Mr. Kane testified on Capitol Hill when congress "investigated" Toyota back in 2010.
Previous congressional testimony - especially from victims of sudden unintended acceleration - takes on new meaning in light of the technical disclosures associated with the guilty verdict in Oklahoma. Great time to recall the testimony of Clarence Ditlow, Executive Director of the Center for Auto Safety. Mr. Ditlow told our illustrious elected officials there was a cover-up, and implicated (gasp) NHTSA. I've maintained from the get go that a corporation that would behave like Toyota has about engine failures in MR2 Spyders simply cannot be trusted. Ditto for a government that lets 'em get away with it.
Amidst the heavy downpour of incriminating technical data from the Oklahoma case, Toyota's NHTSA-congressional whitewash is flakin' off. Not so easy anymore for the Recall King to get away with dumping problems on their customers. Of course, Toyota's USA president even testified back then that 70% of sudden unintended acceleration cases couldn't be explained by driver error, floor mats, or sticky gas pedals. Thanks, Oklahoma. Thank you, thank you, thank you. It's a hoot seein' the Recall King forced into a runnin'-scared rush to settle hundreds of remaining cases - 'bout 450 of 'em - lest there be further technical revelations, along with the fearsome prospect of juried determinations of punitive damages.
Meanwhile, in another case involving an out-of-control Camry, plaintiffs are being represented by the same law firm that successfully represented the folks in Oklahoma. "Mr. Kitrys’ 2004 Toyota Camry suddenly and without warning surged out of control and he was unable to stop the vehicle. As the uncontrollable Camry approached an intersection and concrete barrier, Mr. Kitrys jumped from the vehicle but received injuries that caused his death."
Let's hope Toyota doesn't "examine" these vehicles unless both sides are present. I remember the case of Koua Fong Lee, wherein Toyota acted like Koua's Camry belonged to them insteada him.
Meanwhile, electrical engineers are speaking out in favor of the Oklahoma verdict, and Shawn Kane of Safety Research and Strategies, Inc. has offered a detailed summary of the trial's technical issues, noting that experts used the term "spaghetti," which is programmer's slang for badly written and badly structured source code. The trial also revealed that back in 2007, even one of Toyota's own programmers had used the term when referring to the engine control application. Mr. Kane testified on Capitol Hill when congress "investigated" Toyota back in 2010.
Previous congressional testimony - especially from victims of sudden unintended acceleration - takes on new meaning in light of the technical disclosures associated with the guilty verdict in Oklahoma. Great time to recall the testimony of Clarence Ditlow, Executive Director of the Center for Auto Safety. Mr. Ditlow told our illustrious elected officials there was a cover-up, and implicated (gasp) NHTSA. I've maintained from the get go that a corporation that would behave like Toyota has about engine failures in MR2 Spyders simply cannot be trusted. Ditto for a government that lets 'em get away with it.
Amidst the heavy downpour of incriminating technical data from the Oklahoma case, Toyota's NHTSA-congressional whitewash is flakin' off. Not so easy anymore for the Recall King to get away with dumping problems on their customers. Of course, Toyota's USA president even testified back then that 70% of sudden unintended acceleration cases couldn't be explained by driver error, floor mats, or sticky gas pedals. Thanks, Oklahoma. Thank you, thank you, thank you. It's a hoot seein' the Recall King forced into a runnin'-scared rush to settle hundreds of remaining cases - 'bout 450 of 'em - lest there be further technical revelations, along with the fearsome prospect of juried determinations of punitive damages.
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Bloomberg covers for Toyota in sudden unintended acceleration case - blocks me from commenting
Last Friday, I e-mailed Paul Barrett - the presstitute media guy who wrote the one-sided, hand-wringin' article misrepresenting the facts about Toyota - that I was unable to log in to post comments on his article. I also filled out one of Bloomberg's online feedback forms and told them about the problems I was having getting logged in. Frankly, I had forgotten about Bloomberg's previous censorship (removal) of my comments about Toyota. Came across my earlier blog post quite by accident.
As of today, I continue to be blocked from posting comments on Mr. Barrett's sleazy article. I tried using Disqus, clicked icons for my Facebook, Twitter, and Google accounts, and everything still goes haywire.
Is there a method to Bloomberg's madness?
Any comments regarding Barrett's article were a long time coming. Kinda strange. Then Dr. Antony Anderson's superb rebuttal showed up. After a couple of days, one other comment critical of Toyota appeared. Meanwhile, I was discussing the weird comment situation with a friend. I speculated that trolls were staying quiet in an effort to avoid drawing attention to the Oklahoma case and the facts regarding Toyota being found guilty in a sudden unintended acceleration event. Facts about the Oklahoma case, highlighting Toyota - and NHTSA's - culpability in sudden unintended acceleration were startin' to come out, spreading like wildfire all over the Internet, including my blog.
Interestingly enough, an anonymous effort to rebut a comment I published (11/8/2013 3:28:01 PM) tried to convince me (11/8/2013 3:54:47 PM) - "Two million blogs will do nothing !" - that blogging about Toyota wouldn't make any difference. Of course, I replied (11/8/2013 6:02:12 PM) that such activities do make a difference, which is why businesses - especially coverup operations like Toyota - hire so-called "reputation management" companies to steer conversations, post fake reviews, etc. I referenced a recent court case involving a gang of corporate hirees gettin' sued for posting such garbage on Edmonds.com
Wouldn't ya know it? Today, a barrage of anonymous comments - including blabber attempting to defend Toyota - have suddenly appeared regarding Barrett's article. And I still can't get logged in...
Isn't it a shame that corporate-controlled America doesn't have a free press?
As of today, I continue to be blocked from posting comments on Mr. Barrett's sleazy article. I tried using Disqus, clicked icons for my Facebook, Twitter, and Google accounts, and everything still goes haywire.
Is there a method to Bloomberg's madness?
Any comments regarding Barrett's article were a long time coming. Kinda strange. Then Dr. Antony Anderson's superb rebuttal showed up. After a couple of days, one other comment critical of Toyota appeared. Meanwhile, I was discussing the weird comment situation with a friend. I speculated that trolls were staying quiet in an effort to avoid drawing attention to the Oklahoma case and the facts regarding Toyota being found guilty in a sudden unintended acceleration event. Facts about the Oklahoma case, highlighting Toyota - and NHTSA's - culpability in sudden unintended acceleration were startin' to come out, spreading like wildfire all over the Internet, including my blog.
Interestingly enough, an anonymous effort to rebut a comment I published (11/8/2013 3:28:01 PM) tried to convince me (11/8/2013 3:54:47 PM) - "Two million blogs will do nothing !" - that blogging about Toyota wouldn't make any difference. Of course, I replied (11/8/2013 6:02:12 PM) that such activities do make a difference, which is why businesses - especially coverup operations like Toyota - hire so-called "reputation management" companies to steer conversations, post fake reviews, etc. I referenced a recent court case involving a gang of corporate hirees gettin' sued for posting such garbage on Edmonds.com
Wouldn't ya know it? Today, a barrage of anonymous comments - including blabber attempting to defend Toyota - have suddenly appeared regarding Barrett's article. And I still can't get logged in...
Isn't it a shame that corporate-controlled America doesn't have a free press?
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Another recall. Bloomberg ignores evidence of Toyota's software causing sudden unintended acceleration
Toyota's 2013 recall parade is marchin' right along. This time, it's defective valve springs in pickups and SUVs that can cause an engine to stop running. And this is not the first time the Recall King has found valve springs to be a manufacturing challenge. Amidst a 2010 valve-spring recall, a YouTube video appeared - along with an article on AutoBlog.com - addressing Toyota's problem with those pesky valve springs. C'mon, Recall King. Do tell. What's really going on with those springs?
Might cause an engine to stop running? What a hoot. For years, there have been formal complaints and postings all over the Internet about engines suddenly disintegrating in MR2 Spyders, and the Recall King hasn't seen fit to do anything other than stonewall. But of course, MR2 Spyders - unlike pickups and SUVs - are limited production vehicles, and this puts their owners at an extreme disadvantage when dealing with a corporate slob like Toyota. Lousy products and an equally lousy attitude toward customers. And talk about deceptive advertising. It's kinda hard to "Go Places" when your engine won't run. Even harder when your bank account has been depleted by the better part of $10,000...
Meanwhile, the "presstitute" media (as former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury Dr. Paul Craig Roberts calls it) is rushing to Toyota's aid now that an Oklahoma jury has handed down a guilty verdict in a sudden unintended acceleration case. Enter this one-sided, hand-wringin' article from Bloomberg, bemoaning the way courts are allowing lawsuits to proceed against poor ol' Toyota. Is anyone fooled? I've been blocked from commenting - weird things happen when I try to log in - and this is not the first time I've had problems getting comments published by Bloomberg. Fortunately, noted electrical engineer Dr. Antony Anderson submitted a comment offering a fantastic rebuttal to Paul Barrett's sheer blabber. Here's an excerpt from Dr. Anderson's remarks:
"If (Toyota) had fitted kill switches, very few people would have been killed and there would have been little or no litigation. Weeping crocodile tears 'about the individuals and families of anyone in an accident involving one of our vehicles' is no substitute for killing sudden accelerations stone dead with a device that will restrict fuel supply or air to the engine in an emergency."
Facts are starting to emerge - much of the technical data revealed in the Oklahoma trial is still secret - about Toyota's well-orchestrated efforts to conceal pertinent information about their Electronic Control Throttle System (ECTS) and their refusal to install relatively simple safety measures. The Recall King, NHTSA, and presstitute media gang is gettin' nervous.
Toyota's ad, "Let's Go Places" should include the kind of places you're liable to go if you purchase their products. The hospital, perhaps? Court? Or how about prison? Just ask Koua Fong Lee.
Might cause an engine to stop running? What a hoot. For years, there have been formal complaints and postings all over the Internet about engines suddenly disintegrating in MR2 Spyders, and the Recall King hasn't seen fit to do anything other than stonewall. But of course, MR2 Spyders - unlike pickups and SUVs - are limited production vehicles, and this puts their owners at an extreme disadvantage when dealing with a corporate slob like Toyota. Lousy products and an equally lousy attitude toward customers. And talk about deceptive advertising. It's kinda hard to "Go Places" when your engine won't run. Even harder when your bank account has been depleted by the better part of $10,000...
Meanwhile, the "presstitute" media (as former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury Dr. Paul Craig Roberts calls it) is rushing to Toyota's aid now that an Oklahoma jury has handed down a guilty verdict in a sudden unintended acceleration case. Enter this one-sided, hand-wringin' article from Bloomberg, bemoaning the way courts are allowing lawsuits to proceed against poor ol' Toyota. Is anyone fooled? I've been blocked from commenting - weird things happen when I try to log in - and this is not the first time I've had problems getting comments published by Bloomberg. Fortunately, noted electrical engineer Dr. Antony Anderson submitted a comment offering a fantastic rebuttal to Paul Barrett's sheer blabber. Here's an excerpt from Dr. Anderson's remarks:
"If (Toyota) had fitted kill switches, very few people would have been killed and there would have been little or no litigation. Weeping crocodile tears 'about the individuals and families of anyone in an accident involving one of our vehicles' is no substitute for killing sudden accelerations stone dead with a device that will restrict fuel supply or air to the engine in an emergency."
Facts are starting to emerge - much of the technical data revealed in the Oklahoma trial is still secret - about Toyota's well-orchestrated efforts to conceal pertinent information about their Electronic Control Throttle System (ECTS) and their refusal to install relatively simple safety measures. The Recall King, NHTSA, and presstitute media gang is gettin' nervous.
Toyota's ad, "Let's Go Places" should include the kind of places you're liable to go if you purchase their products. The hospital, perhaps? Court? Or how about prison? Just ask Koua Fong Lee.
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