According to a July 19, AP report “The operator of a light-rail train that crashed [in San Francisco], injuring dozens of passengers as well as the operator, came under scrutiny on Sunday as federal investigators tried to figure out why he turned off the automatic controls moments before the accident. Ted Turpin, an investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board, said that the operator switched the controls from automatic to manual in a tunnel near the West Portal Station and that he never engaged the emergency brake. Had the operator kept the autopilot on, Mr. Turpin said, the train would have slowed down before arriving at the station and most likely not have careened into a parked train while going 23 miles per hour.”
Takata Airbags, Dangerous Ignition Switches Injuries Shouldn’t Be Hidden
December 1, 2014
Honda Motor admitted it failed to report over 1,700 injury or death claims involving its cars in the United States. The admission reflects both widespread secrecy agreements demanded by defendants in injury cases and the inability of the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration(NHSTA) to monitor big manufacturers.
