Kreindler is representing people killed or injured by vehicles equipped with push-button ignition technology which does not require that a physical key be inserted into an ignition in order to start a car.
The keyless ignition on automobiles is an inexcusable design flaw.
Because the electronic key fob never leaves the pocket or purse, there have been carbon monoxide-related deaths and injuries reported when cars either failed to shut down or were accidentally left running when the driver and key fob exited the vehicle. Likewise, vehicles are being left in gear after the driver leaves with the fob allowing cars to roll and cause severe injuries and property damage.
Auto manufacturers are ignoring the risks as more and more cars roll off production lines and into the hands of unsuspecting consumers.
Auto manufacturers offering keyless entry and ignition systems:
Toyota: Smart Key system
Lexus: Smart Access
Ford Motor Company: Intelligent Access.
Nissan®: Intelligent Key
BMW: Comfort Access
Audi: Advanced Key
The General Motors: Passive Entry Passive Start
Hyundai: Proximity Key
Mercedes: Keyless Go
Volkswagen: KESSY - Keyless Entry Start and Exit System
Kreindler Attorney Noah Kushlefsky Discusses the Dangers of Keyless Ignitions in NBC Story
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Kreindler Partner Noah Kushlefsky Points Out “Inexcusable Design Flaw” in Today’s Cars
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Attorney Noah Kushlefsky on Keyless Ignition Wrongful Death
Kreindler Experience with Keyless Ignition Cases
A keyless ignition button like this poses dangerous risks
Kreindler represented a former Fordham University professor and her boyfriend against Toyota, the maker of Lexus. Our client suffered brain damage and her boyfriend was killed as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning from a 2008 Lexus. The New York couple came home from dinner, parked the car in the garage, and, mistakenly thinking they had turned the car off, went upstairs and went to bed. A relative found them in the morning, one dead and one unconscious, as a result of the Lexus sitting in the garage overnight, quietly running, sending odorless, colorless toxic fumes into their home.
Our investigation into these cases has disclosed not only fundamental safety flaws but possible violations of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS), section 114, which prohibits key removal when vehicles are running or in gear.
Kreindler is compiling a database of accidents and incidents related to keyless ignition systems. If you have experienced any issues with your keyless ignition vehicle, even incidents that have no led to injury, please contact us.