Car accident caused by bunched up floor mat

The Long Island Newsday reported an injury car accident caused by a floor mat which got caught below the brake and above the gas pedal.  As the driver attempted to brake his BMW X3, the mat was inadvertently pushed down on the gas pedal which caused him to accelerate and crash into a storefront Hanukkah party in Woodmere, Long Island, New York.  The car crash injured eight children and six adults at the party.

Mat problems have been blamed for crashes across North America whether poorly designed, improperly used or both have triggered recalls for at least a million vehicles over the past 25 years.  Floor mats from a variety of makers have led to driving problems. In some cases, pedals have stuck to the mats.  In others, the mats interfered with one or more pedals.  Whatever the obstructions, misplaced mats can imperil driving.

In 2006, a Kennewick, Washington man suffered head and arm injuries when his car crashed into a ditch after the floor mat got wedged on the gas pedal.  Also in 2006, a Montreal boy was hospitalized and his sister died after their mother lost control of the car most likely from the floor mat according to the investigating police officer.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration organized a 2007 recall of all-weather floor mats used in 2007 and 2008 Lexus ES 350 models and Toyota Camrys of the same years, according to the safety agency.

Whether a car accident was caused by driver negligence, or defective design of a floor mat, the Seattle, Bellevue car crash injury lawyer at Andrew Kim Law Firm, PLLC can assist you with a possible claim against the negligent party.  Call us in Seattle or Bellevue at (425) 289-1990 or in Tacoma at (253) 682-2000, or anywhere in Washington state at
1-800-636-3676 for a free consultation.