Killer Keyless Ignition?

[gurrera]

Toyota’s legal problems are piling up. It is now being alleged that they killed a lawyer. The New York Daily News reports that 79-year-old lawyer Ernest Codelia Jr died of carbon monoxide poisoning and his partner, Mary Rivera was brain damaged. And their Lexus is being blamed. How come?
On February the 27th of 2009, Mary Rivera parked their Lexus in the ground floor garage attached to their home. Accidentally, she left the engine running. The next day, family members went to their home to find that Mary was unconscious on the bedroom floor and her partner, Ernest in bed, dead. An autopsy showed that Mr Codelia Jr’s blood was filled with carbon monoxide.

Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless and toxic gas. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recommends that every home should have a carbon monoxide (CO) alarm. Apparently, the carbon monoxide invaded the bedroom. Miss Rivera survived but now cannot walk and speaks with difficulty. Now while this is rather sad, what has this got to do with Toyota getting sued? What did they do wrong?

Lawyer Noel Kushlefsky has filed a wrongful death suit in Brooklyn Federal Court against Toyota, the makers of Lexus cars. The suit claims that the keyless ignition feature violates federal safety standards because the engine can continue to run indefinitely even after the driver walks away with key fob that communicates with the car. Mr Kushlefsky accuses Toyota of failing to install a safety switch. A switch could turn the ignition off if the car had been idle for a while or unoccupied for a period of time. â€￾It creates certain safety risks that did not exist with conventional key technology,â€￾ the suit says.

“This is a cool little bell-and-whistle to sell cars, but they have to address problems that have sprouted up,â€￾ said Mr Kushlefsky. The lawyer met with the NHTSA, and the agency is assessing keyless ignition systems and is aware of “some potential safety issuesâ€￾.

Although conjecture, the article suggests that because the couple had the car for a short while, they may have been unfamiliar with the technology. Also, because the engine runs so quietly, Miss Rivera may not have realized that it was still running.

Lexus hasn’t commented on the issue. The suit has been filed. A similar case is reported from Florida. As the picture illustrates, our homes are full of carbon monoxide dangers. A running car in the garage is only one of them.



I guess this has happened more the one.
I can't see blaming the auto maker for some one forgetting to turn off the car.
It has happen to others that for got too turn the key and Left there car running be for.

Just my opinion.

 

[04Duramax]

Serioulsy.. what is wrong with people. This is one of the many problems with people today.. when natural selection finally takes over someone has to sue someone else. Don't get me wrong I don't like to hear about people dying or getting hurt.. but seriously I can not see how this is Toyota's fault because some moron left their car running in their garage. Just like it's McDonald's Video Game System's and TV's fault because our kids are fat.. Not because the parent's don't know what modertion is. Either way I'm rooting for Toyota on this one.

 

[twotonevert]

Make em all diesel and you will know if it running. Rooting for Toyota on this one too.

 

[Schism]

the article states "she accidentally left the engine running" so how is this toyota's fault? because they have an auto ignition feature? i don't know how we survived prior to this feature (sarcasm).

 

[ogre]

oops, i forgot to unload my pistol when i came home from the range, and it shot someone. by accident. without my help. i'm gonna sue glock now.


are you serious?

 

[Cerberus]

This is another example of people trying to hold someone else responsible for their mistakes. I have a Hyundai Sonata with the keyless ignition. It's not Hyundai's fault if I don't know how to properly operate the vehicle. They make an owners manual for a reason.

What happened is sad, but it is not Toyota's fault. The owner made a mistake, and no matter how sad, it was still the owners mistake.

I'm rooting for Toyota on this as well.

 

[Benzo_tek]

Well simply put, if u forget to turn ur car off when u pull into the garage( like u must have done a million times), u might want to consider having ur grandchildren drive ur sorry old forgetful ass around! I have no sympathy for people who don't use their head. Theycget the Darwin award for sure.
oh yeah, lol I vote for toyota. If u couldn't tell
Posted via Mobile Device

 

[AztecKanji]

The article itself is slanted in the plaintiff's favor. ”It creates certain safety risks that did not exist with conventional key technology,” the suit says.
How?? Maybe I don't fully understand how the 2 types of ignitions work, but I'm pretty sure conventional key ignitions would not have helped in this situation either. Whether you have keyed or keyless start ignitions, you still have to TURN THE CAR OFF when you're done with it...right?

Oh well, the tort lawyer will gather all the cases across the country, create a mass tort case and get Toyota to settle for a monster number from which the mass tort lawyer takes his 33% off the top, then takes his expenses, and the remainder will be split among the plaintiffs...I can't wait to start law school! LOL!

Gotta side with Toyota on this one, but with their recent troubles with recalls and faulty equipment, they will have the deck stacked against them if they were to try and take it to a jury.

 

[Fastfrog007]

Does the stove at thier house have a key too?

 

[Casperle]

Ford has the same push button start option. You can turn the car off in drive take your key fob with you since its not stuck in the cylinder till you put it in park like the old keys of yesterday. Im just waiting for someones car to run them over while exiting the vehical thats in drive and theres a new suit. Push button start has its safty issues.

 

[Fastfrog007]

Ford has the same push button start option. You can turn the car off in drive take your key fob with you since its not stuck in the cylinder till you put it in park like the old keys of yesterday. Im just waiting for someones car to run them over while exiting the vehical thats in drive and theres a new suit. Push button start has its safty issues.

if that happens. this will be me--->