Family Undeterred in Wrongful Death Lawsuit by Toyota Study Findings

June 12, 2011

The family of Leon Przybylowski, a Streamwood man killed after his 2006 Toyota Corolla accelerated though a suburban strip mall parking lot and into a brick wall, will continue forward with their wrongful death lawsuit against Toyota despite recent reports published finding that electronic problems did not cause unintended acceleration in Toyota vehicles. The Chicago personal injury lawyer representing the family has indicated that the lawsuit will go on as planned against Toyota regardless of the findings from this investigation.

These independent reports were released recently by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration who had even called upon NASA engineers during the investigation. The report findings have come to the conclusion that electronic flaws were not responsible for unintended acceleration in Toyota vehicles. Przybylowski’ family had filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Toyota this past October claiming defective electronics were at fault for causing the acceleration.

According to officials involved in the investigation, the findings from this ten month long federal study may substantially weaken the 400 civil actions that have been brought against Toyota for electronic malfunctions resulting in unintended acceleration. Toyota has already recalled nearly 8 million vehicles in 2009 and 2010 and paid out nearly $49 million in fines for its delayed response to the acceleration problems that drivers were experiencing due to floor mats and sticky pedals.

Przybylowski’ accident was caught by local surveillance cameras and his automobile can be seen backing out of its parking space, then striking a car behind it. The car then suddenly accelerated forward knocking one parked car out of its way and camera footage shows it swerving to avoid pedestrians before it accelerates into the brick wall of a pharmacy. Przybylowski was taken to Provena St. Joseph Hospital in Elgin after the crash but he died the next morning from injuries sustained. Before he died he reported that his car had just “took off.”