As a result of the flurry of vehicle recalls involving Toyota's luxury brand Lexus and popular model Prius, many Toyota owners are concerned and want answers. Senate committees and lawmakers hope to find answers in a series of upcoming vehicle safety hearings.  Drivers hope to find solutions by turning their cars in for repair service or safer models. Advocates and legal teams are banking on the courts to protect drivers and consumers.  

It might be that all the answers everyone is looking for are inside Toyota’s black box technology, Event Data Recorders (EDRs) found in many of today's passenger cars. There is speculation that the black box computers might be the culprit behind a series of engine malfunctions. Toyota is expected to rebuke this theory some time this week.  Ford and GM would love a peek inside what makes a popular competitor's car tick, but it remains to be seen if Toyota will be cooperative in revealing the contents of their EDRs.  Lawmakers are pushing for the black box technology to be revealed, as they are eager to determine whether or not it is indeed a part of Toyota’s proprietary electrical systems that is the source of the vehicle problems.  Toyota, however, continues to be secretive and illusive about the contents of the black boxes and their systems.  

The tug of war between lawmakers and the Japanese car company will continue to be a major story in the news as well as a topic of everyday conversations.  With billions of dollars on the line, and growing political pressure, both sides are trying to save face by getting to the bottom of the issues as soon as possible.  Toyota drivers and consumers, however, are forced to play a game of “wait and see” until the malfunctions and the bickering are resolved.

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We’ve all seen the commercials dozens of times.  They're for a so-called "wonder yogurt" that promises to simultaneously work gastric miracles while helping to strengthen the immune system.  

DanActive and Activia, yogurt products made by the Dannon Corporation, hired Hollywood star Jamie Lee Curtis to appear in their television commercials.  In the spots, she is shown talking to women and men about the benefits of this specialty, higher priced yogurt.  These commercials tell consumers that the yogurt has been “clinically" tested and “scientifically proven.” Recently, "Saturday Night Live" spoofed the ads, suggesting that the benefits claimed by the wonder yogurt seemed too good to be true.   

Well, late last month, a Cleveland federal court decided that Dannon’s claims were precisely that.  In a class action lawsuit, the court ruled that the yogurt company must pay consumers up to $45 million in damages for false advertising. The settlement was reached under the ruling that the company’s advertising claims were dishonest and that the health benefits of the products have never been proven. Dannon has subsequently been ordered to remove the word "immunity" from DanActive’s labels as well as a qualifier that the yogurt “helps support the immune system,” a statement that appears along with “when eaten regularly as a part of a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle.” The company has also been ordered to remove the words “clinically” and “scientifically proven” from labels and advertisements for the Activia line of products.  

To facilitate the dispersal of the $45 million dollar settlement, Dannon has set up a website which will walk consumers through a process for receiving refunds of up to $100. Whatever funds are left unclaimed will be donated to charities. The company’s website also has information regarding the exact benefits of all its yogurt products while noting that yogurt cannot be used in place of a doctor or as a treatment.

Related:  website for filing a class action claim with Dannon