Koua Fong Lee, a man who was sentenced to eight years in prison for causing a fatal car accident in Minnesota, always maintained that there was a vehicle defect or malfunction in his 1996 Toyota Camry that caused the crash that killed three people. However, a few years ago, jurors did not believe him. Now, according to an Associated Press news report, Lee’s case is being reopened after new revelations of safety problems with Toyota vehicles. The Japanese auto maker has so far recalled more than 8.5 million vehicles – a majority of them for a problem with sticky gas pedals and faulty floor mats that could cause sudden or unintended acceleration.

Case to be Revisited

In Lee’s case, the car went out of control at 80 to 90 miles per hour from a freeway off-ramp and crashed into an Oldsmobile stopped at a red light. Investigators looked at the brakes and checked the Toyota for malfunctions, but found nothing wrong at the time. Lee continued to maintain that he had done everything he could to stop the car – but it simply wouldn’t stop. He says he in fact took his foot off the gas and was stepping on the brakes as hard as possible. Now, the victims’ families have requested the district attorney’s office to reopen the case and have said that they would sue Toyota for the wrongful death of their loved ones.

Lives Ruined by Auto Product Defects

Apparently Lee’s is only one of a growing number of car accidents cases where no one believed the driver. In this case, more than one life was ruined. Three people lost their lives and an innocent man was sent to prison for eight years! He has a valid lawsuit against Toyota as well. Many other auto product liability lawsuits have been filed against Toyota nationwide and that number is only expected to climb in the coming months.

The chief executive of Toyota has apologized several times to his consumers. But, in my opinion, those profuse apologies are too little too late. It’s never going to heal the wounds of grieving families, victims who have suffered catastrophic injuries and innocent individuals who are serving prison sentences for crimes they did not commit.

The BISNAR|CHASE personal injury law firm is not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our information source is cited in the article. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions as to your rights and options, call us or another reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a consultation. The best law firms will provide a free consultation. We provide a free, confidential consultation to not at fault persons named in this article. The free consultation offer extends to family members as well.