Death Toll Related to Unintended Acceleration in Toyotas Rises

On Tuesday, the federal government said that it estimated 89 people may have been killed in accidents caused by sudden acceleration in Toyota vehicles in the last ten years, a steep rise from previous estimates.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that from 2000 to mid-May of 2010, it received over 6,200 complaints concerning unintended acceleration in Toyota vehicles. The reports also indicate 57 injuries and 89 fatalities during the same time. Prior to the new report, the government estimated 52 deaths had been connected to the sudden-acceleration problem.

Worldwide, Toyota Motor Company has recalled over eight million vehicles. The carmaker paid a record-breaking $16.4 million fine for its sluggish response to a gas pedal recall and now faces a litany of lawsuits.

Toyota emphasized in a statement that it was “making an all-out effort to ensure our vehicles are safe, and we remain committed to investigating reported incidents of unintended acceleration in our vehicles quickly.”

The carmaker explained that multiple complaints in the database had insufficient detail to pinpoint the cause of an accident. Additionally, Toyota said it will “continue to work” with federal regulators and law enforcement officials. There has been no mention if this will affect consumers ability to get cheap auto insurance premiums.