Canadian class action lawsuit launched against Toyota

Toyota Canada is now gearing up for a court battle as it begins sending the parts out to fix the sticky gas pedal problem.   

A class action lawsuit has been filed with Ontario courts alleging Toyota should have known about the issues before the vehicles were shipped out.

Lawsuits have been launched in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and B.C., by Regina lawyer Tony Merchant.   He says a suit in Alberta will be launched in a few days.

Merchant tells 660News, the class action suits are on behalf of all Canadian owners of Toyota and Lexus vehicles with faulty gas pedals.

He says many of his clients were personally endangered by runaway acceleration, including one woman who claims she drove through a plate-glass window.

More than 270,000 Toyota vehicles in Canada and another 2.3-million in the U.S. were recalled because the pedals could cause the vehicle to accelerate unexpectedly.

The claim seeks compensation for losses and injuries as a result of the purchase or use of the affected vehicles.