Toyota Sudden Acceleration Cases
Minneapolis and St. Paul Personal Injury Attorney
If you have had a similar experience with sudden unintended acceleration or have been injuried as a result of an automobile accident or product defect, please fill out our consult form here.
Challenge to Criminal Vehicular Operation conviction/Toyota car defects
Mr. Schafer has been retained to represent Koua Fong Lee, a man who had been convicted three years ago of criminal vehicular operation when his car crashed in to another vehicle killing three people. This man had gone to trial claiming his car had unexpectedly accelerated and the brakes would not work. Mr. Lee was ultimately convicted and sentenced to serve 8 years in prison. In January of 2010, Mr. Schafer sought to reopen Mr. Lee's case due to the recall of millions of Toyota vehicles due to unintended acceleration. Mr. Schafer filed a Petition for Post Conviction relief seeking a new trial based upon new evidence of sudden unintended acceleration. The prosecutor opposed the request claiming there was no new evidence and Mr. Lee should remain in prison for the duration of his 8-year sentence.
In July of 2010, Judge Joanne Smith granted Mr. Lee an evidentiary hearing so that she could hear testimony on the purported new evidence, whether there was mistaken expert testimony during Mr. Lee's trial and whether Mr. Lee received effective assistance of counsel. On August 2, 2010, an evidentiary hearing commenced in the Ramsey County Courthouse. Mr. Schafer called 12 witnesses who each described their incidents of sudden unintended acceleration. All of these witnesses were driving 1994-1996 Toyota Camrys, the majority being 1996, the same make and model of that vehicle drivine by Mr. Lee.
On August 6, 2010, Judge Smith issued an order from the bench granting Mr. Lee's request for a new trial. Shortly thereafter, the prosecutor pledged that there would be no appeal of the judge's Order and would dismiss all charges filed against Mr. Lee.
Mr. Schafer has been interviewed and ask to consult on numerous cases involving sudden unintended acceleration and other civil claims against automobile and other product manufactures for injuries and deaths caused by their respective products.
Mr. Schafer has been featured and interviewed by all local media as well as major news programs such as Nightline, ABC National News, CNN, MSNBC, Fox Morning and Good Morning America. To see the various news releases select the following links:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/03/02/toyota.recall.appeal/index.html?hpt=C2
Toyota recalls may help free jailed Camry owner Koua Fong Lee
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/video/toyoto-crash-minnesota-camry-driver-victims-9907466
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/toyota-flaws-free-convict-9906986?tab=9482931§ion=1299636
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124070164
http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2010/02/25/toyota-defense-free-convicted-killer/
News Release
Judge Grants Motion to Intervene
A Federal Judge for the Eith Circuit granted Koua Fong Lee's motion to intervene in the pending case Bridgette Trice vs.Toyota Motor Corporation et al.. This decision followed a hearing held in Federal Court on November 8, 2010.
my fitv - Video - ABC : KSTP News: Judge Hears Koua Fong Lee's ...
Judge grants Koua Fong Lee's request to join Toyota lawsuit
Schafer and Hilliard Take on Toyota
Brent S. Schafer and Bob Hillard have filed motions in Federal District Court seeking to intervene in the pending lawsuit against Toyota for their liability in the 2006 accidnet that killed three, injuried two and sent an innocent man, Koua Fong Lee, to prison for nearly three years.