Toyota Motor Corp. may have a tough time defending itself in U.S. lawsuits filed for flaws in its vehicles after U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood fined the company, saying it “knowingly hid a dangerous defect.”

“The lawsuit charges that the Yamaha Rhino is dangerously unstable and contains multiple design and engineering flaws increasing the likelihood of fatal injuries to occupants in the event of an accident,” stated plaintiffs’ attorney Mark Chalos of Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernsetin, LLP

Auto manufacturer Toyota warned dealerships in 2002 that Camry owners were complaining about throttles surging and recommended adjustments in an electronic control unit to fix the problem, according to a document obtained by CNN

Kathleen and James Fiedler of Fogelsville, Pennsylvania, filed a lawsuit against Volkswagen of America for the wrongful death of their twenty-year old son Andrew Fiedler. The complaint charges that a defectively designed and manufactured car seat in the 2008 Jetta S played a direct role in the death of Andrew Fiedler.

The Washington Post reports that two Washington area drivers have filed personal injury lawsuits against the Toyota Motor Corp., joining about 280 personal injury and class-action suits filed across the country against the company.

Toyota claims it has developed a fix to the gas pedal of its vehicles that will stop sudden acceleration. Does a faulty gas pedal actually explain why Toyota cars are suddenly accelerating?

A promising 21 year-old graduate student who was pursuing her Master’s Degree in Education at the University of Pittsburgh, Tyrene Livingston was killed in a 2007 accident involving a Toyota Yaris that suddenly accelerated and crashed.

The driver of a 2005 Toyota Camry rendered a quadriplegic in a sudden acceleration accident has filed a personal injury lawsuit against Toyota.

On December 14, 2009, Jacquelyn Donoghue, a 67 year-old nurse, was driving home with her husband John in their 2006 Toyota Prius on Highway 75 in Nebraska. Both were wearing their seat belts. Mrs. Donoghue was an experienced driver with an excellent driving record.

On February 9, 2010, Toyota Motor Corp. released an updated list of Toyota recalls and the affected vehicles.