U.S. Government Workers Go To Work For Automakers as Toyota Recall Situation Escalates
Many Toyota owners are already concerned about what is behind the huge recall of several million Toyota vehicles this year, and new reports just add fuel to the fire. A recent Washington Post article points out what is becoming increasingly clear about the relationship between companies like Toyota and government offices tasked with handling automotive safety issues.
The report contends that a number of former U.S. government regulators are now employed by Toyota Company. Approximately 33 former government officials from the U.S. Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration now work as lawyers, consultants, and in other similar roles for Toyota Company, creating what some would call a “revolving door” system, where the line between public service and private industry is dangerously blurred.
The U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee have been investigating how the involvement of government groups may be affecting safety policy in large auto corporations like Toyota. In recent congressional panel hearings, legislators grilled U.S. Dept. of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood over whether the relationship between his department and the Toyota Company was too close, and whether that may have played a role in how current safety issues were revealed to the public.
Legislators will also look at this broader issue of quick moves between government offices and corporate ones. However, according to consumer advocacy groups, the overpowering of government offices by corporate interests has been going on for a long time. Some of these critics cite the Office of Defects Investigation, which according to the Post, has only 57 employees to monitor an enormous industry that greatly affects public health and safety.
Across the country and in regions like Central Florida, Toyota recall accident attorneys understand that the consumer needs an advocate. The lack of what legislators call “checks and balances” in the industry make litigating against these companies seem like a truly daunting challenge. Orlando Toyota recall injury lawyers can help Central Florida residents step up to challenge Toyota or any other auto company when their products cause personal injury. This kind of legal representation is critical in being able to take on an industry that experts admit is extensively equipped with lawyers, lobbyists and consultants who will aggressively work in the company’s best interests.
If you have been injured in a Florida accident involving a recalled or defective Toyota, Orlando Toyota recall injury lawyer James O. Cunningham can guide you through the complex legal process involving major corporations. This Central Florida Toyota recall accident attorney has a team of knowledgeable staff that will help you in every step of a case involving accident injuries that stemmed from a defect in the current Toyota product line. Call at 888-425-2004 or submit an online contact form to get the representation that you need.
James O. Cunningham
Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.