skip to content
WigRum Logo

Sudden Acceleration Defects

Sudden acceleration, sometimes referred to as “sudden unintended acceleration” or “SUA,” is a continuing concern for safety advocates because SUA can cause serious or fatal crashes in a range of accident scenarios, involving numerous automobile manufacturers.

Aop vehicle defects

If you or a loved one has been harmed in an accident involving sudden acceleration of a motor vehicle, then please feel free to contact our offices for a free consultation.

SUA, by definition, involves any situation where a vehicle suddenly speeds out of control, accelerating without the driver pressing on the gas pedal. Usually, the SUA event also involves the driver not being able to stop the car by braking (with either the brake pedals or emergency brake). SUA is terrifying for the driver as well as the occupants of the vehicle; victims often describe the event as if the “car had a mind of its own.”

There is no set pattern for a SUA crash. Older and newer models have experienced sudden acceleration, built and distributed by a number of car makers. Audi, Ford, Hyundai, Lexus, and Toyota products have all been involved in SUA accidents.

There are several known causes of SUA. In older vehicles, a cable used to control the throttle in the vehicle may fail, sending the car into sudden acceleration. Cruise control features may fail.

Other SUA causes include:

  • Floor mats that interfere with the accelerator
  • Pedals that stick and do not return
  • Defects in the accelerator linkage
  • Defects in the electronic code
  • Electromagnetic interference.

Injuries in Sudden Unintended Acceleration Accidents

Accidents involving sudden acceleration are usually serious and often deadly. Not only is the driver of the SUA-vehicle usually an injury victim, but the passengers in that vehicle as well as those who are in the other vehicles in any collision can suffer severe bodily harm. Pedestrians can be fatal victims of a SUA crash, too.

Lawyers Helping Victims of Sudden Acceleration Crashes

It is important for accident victims who have experienced the terror of a sudden acceleration accident to begin the investigation of the causes of that crash as soon as possible. This is because determining the reason (or reasons) why the car suddenly took off and could not be stopped may be complicated.

Police on the scene may be tempted to point a finger at the driver, assuming that the driver made an error or was intentionally speeding. Drivers protesting that the car would not stop may be discredited by insurance adjusters, as well.

However, investigation by accident reconstruction experts and engineers who study automotive systems may be able to discover the real cause of the accident is sudden acceleration. Intensive investigation to determine the exact cause may be necessary, since there may not be physical evidence (like a tire in a blowout) of the SUA.

These experts will be able to define how SUA happened, i.e.,the specific electronic malfunction or braking system flaw, which will enable the victims to get compensation for their injuries and damages from the car maker and other potential parties.

Experienced Sudden Acceleration Accident Attorneys

Wigington Rumley Dunn & Blair LLP represents accident victims who have been seriously injured or killed due to a flawed or defective product, including accidents caused by sudden acceleration or SUA. These claims have included clients who were harmed by the sudden acceleration of a Toyota vehicle.

Toyota Unintended Acceleration MDL

Wigington Rumley Dunn & Blair founding partner Jeff Wigington led the steering committee in the Texas Multi-District Litigation involving claims for injuries sustained in the unintended and uncontrollable acceleration of Toyota motor vehicles.

The firm’s involvement in the Toyota MDL involved claims for damages resulting from sudden unintended acceleration began with its filing of a lawsuit for damages resulting from the fatal SUA crash of a 2006 Toyota Corolla in Corpus Christi.

For more information regarding Sudden Acceleration Defects, please review our settlement history and read summaries of some of our past cases.