I WAS PARKED IN FRONT OF A STORE. I EXITED THE CAR TO PUT MY MOTHER'S WALKER IN THE TRUNK. I HAD REACHED THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE (ON DRIVER'S SIDE) WHEN THE CAR BEGAN TO MOVE. I RAN AFTER IT AND GRABBED THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR HANDLE TO TRY AND SLOW OR STOP THE VEHICLE BUT IT WAS IN GEAR AND I WAS THROWN TO THE GROUND INJURING MY KNEE. THE CAR PROCEEDED TO CRASH INTO TWO OTHER CARS BEFORE IT CAME TO A STOP. I WAS IN SHOCK AND TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL IN AN AMBULANCE. I WAS NOT THINKING CLEARLY AND ASSUMED THAT I HAD ACCIDENTALLY LEFT THE CAR IN DRIVE. SEVERAL WEEKS LATER, WHEN I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE AGAIN I NOTED THAT WHEN I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE WITH THE CAR IN DRIVE, THE VEHICLE WOULD IMMEDIATELY START FORWARD, RENDERING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO GET OUT OF THE CAR WITHOUT BEING PAINFULLY AWARE THAT IT WAS ALREADY MOVING. THE SURGE FORWARD WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED SEVERAL SECONDS AFTER I GOT OUT. I RETURNED TO THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT TO TEST OUT THE HYPOTHESIS THAT I MAY HAVE LEFT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL. THE ROAD WAS PERFECTLY FLAT AND THE CAR DID NOT MOVE WHEN IN NEUTRAL. I REPOSITIONED THE CAR UP AND DOWN THE ROAD IN FIVE YARD INCREMENTS AND AT NO POINT DID THE CAR MOVE FORWARD FROM A STOP WHEN SHIFTING INTO NEUTRAL. I CALLED THE DEALER AND EXPLAINED THE PROBLEM. HE DID NOT ASK ME TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN. HE GAVE ME THE PHONE NUMBER OF THE NATIONAL NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT. I CALLED AND WAS ASSIGNED A CASE NUMBER. I HAVE YET TO HEAR FROM THE INVESTIGATOR ASSIGNED