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Legal attack on Toyota widens following second auto recall
A lawyer with a pending lawsuit against Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc. filed a new suit in light of the carmaker's recent recall of 2.3 million vehicles due to sticking accelerator pedals.
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'Legal armada' sets sail against Toyota
Legal attacks against Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc. escalated following fresh reports of product-safety defects afflicting some of the most popular vehicles in the automaker's fleet.
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Plaintiffs' firms mount mass attack on Toyota
As of Feb. 5, Toyota had attracted more than a dozen class actions filed on behalf of consumers who allege that Toyota's failure to adequately disclose.
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Toyota hit with federal stockholder, consumer claims; additional state claim
The attack by plaintiffs' attorneys against Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc. keeps moving forward.
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Hearings begin on Toyota's product safety record
Toyota executives headed to Capitol Hill for the first of three hearings on the automaker's product safety record — a trip to the political woodshed that could get the company into a deeper legal thicket in courts around the country.
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Toyota executive in the hot seat during testimony before Congress
A senior U.S. executive for Toyota walked a fine line as he tried to explain the company's response to recent safety problems without admitting fault that could come back to haunt it in products liability lawsuits and two federal investigations.
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Lawmakers grill Toyota execs over lobbyists, liability
Lawmakers fired questions at two Toyota executives about whether the company's lobbyists are too cozy with government regulators and whether those relationships slowed down the response to complaints about the automaker's safety record.
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Suit filed in crash that prompted first Toyota recall
The family of the man whose Aug. 28 death spurred the first recalls of Toyota vehicles for unintended acceleration has filed a products liability and negligence lawsuit against the Japanese automaker.
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Fight breaks out over relevance of documents in Toyota probe
A public squabble broke out between the chairman and the ranking Republican member of the Congressional panel investigating safety problems in Toyota vehicles over the contents of internal documents produced by a former Toyota attorney.
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Plaintiffs' lawyers jockey for venue in massive Toyota litigation
Plaintiffs' lawyers positioned themselves for a front seat in the mounting litigation arising from the sudden unintended acceleration problems in vehicles manufactured by Toyota.
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Racketeering, unfair business practices claims added against Toyota
Plaintiffs' lawyers spearheading the litigation against Toyota on behalf of consumers whose vehicles have been recalled have added racketeering claims.
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Attorneys argue over venue for Toyota litigation
More than 100 lawyers packed a downtown San Diego federal courtroom to hear arguments about which court is best prepared to hear the increasing number of lawsuits filed against Toyota.
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Where to hold Toyota trial?
Twenty-three plaintiffs' lawyers lined up against a wall in a federal courtroom in San Diego, awaiting their turn to argue about where to try dozens of cases related to sudden acceleration problems in Toyota vehicles.
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Government's $16.4 million fine could boost lawsuits against Toyota
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's $16.4 million civil penalty against Toyota could bolster legal claims that the automaker committed consumer fraud and racketeering.
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Toyota litigation consolidated before judge in Santa Ana, Calif.
Nearly 200 lawsuits filed against Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc. will be consolidated before U.S. District Judge James Selna of the Central District of California, the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation announced.
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Toyota plaintiffs find validation in fine
The federal government's$16.4 million civil penalty against Toyota Motor Corp. could bolster legal claims that the automaker committed fraud and racketeering. It also could assist plaintiffs' attorneys in obtaining thousands of documents for use in their cases, according to plaintiffs' lawyers and legal experts.
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Toyota pays fine; temporary lead counsel appointed in litigation
Toyota Motor Corp. agreed to pay a record $16.4 million fine that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration imposed earlier this month after finding that Toyota waited four months to report sudden acceleration defects in its vehicles.
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Line begins to form for lead counsel committee in Toyota MDL
Dan Becnel Jr. became the first plaintiffs' attorney to apply for the coveted lead counsel status in the multidistrict litigation against Toyota Motor Corp.
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Lawyer says he can't estimate fees in Toyota MDL
The first attorney to submit his name for co-lead counsel of the multidistrict litigation against Toyota Motor Corp., said in a court document that it would be impossible to predict the cost of attorney fees in the case.
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More aspirants emerge to Toyota MDL plaintiffs' committees
Two additional attorneys have filed applications for lead counsel status in the MDL against Toyota, while a third submitted a letter to the judge that was returned on Wednesday.
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Panel suggests a structure for unwieldy Toyota litigation
The three plaintiffs' attorneys assigned as temporary lead counsel and Toyota's lead counsel filed a joint preliminary report outlining the committees that should be created to manage the litigation.
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Toyota judge asks plaintiffs' lawyers about potential for conflict
A federal judge overseeing the multidistrict litigation against Toyota Motor Corp. has asked the plaintiffs' lawyers involved whether they would confront any conflict of interest by representing more than one type of client.
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Parties in Toyota securities suit told to resolve discovery fight
A federal judge in Los Angeles has declined a request by plaintiffs' lawyers in a shareholder class action to force attorneys for Toyota Motor Corp. to turn over documents that were provided to Congress.
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Toyota economic damages could surpass $7 billion
Plaintiff's counsel could seek as much as $7.35 billion from Toyota Motor Co. to compensate consumers for the diminished value of their vehicles in light of problems with sudden unintended acceleration, one of those lawyers said on Wednesday.
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Plaintiffs argue that Toyota judge is underestimating case's complexity
Plaintiffs' lawyers told a federal judge in California on Thursday that he is underestimating the number of attorneys who will be needed to steer the multidistrict litigation against Toyota Motor Corp. over sudden unintended acceleration.
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Judge agrees to expand plaintiffs' committees in Toyota MDL
A federal judge in California acceded to plaintiffs' request for a robust litigation committee structure in appointing lead counsel for the multidistrict litigation against Toyota Motor Corp. over sudden unintended acceleration defects in its vehicles.
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Judge puts California Toyota claims on a single track
Lawsuits filed in California's state courts against Toyota Motor Corp. over sudden unintended acceleration will be coordinated in a single proceeding, ruled a Los Angeles judge. The proceeding was the first to address at least 21 lawsuits filed in California's state courts over a myriad of claims that include economic losses on behalf of consumers, lemon law violations and damages for those who have been injured or died in a Toyota.
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Judge orders Toyota to perform document dump
The federal judge overseeing the multidistrict litigation against the Toyota Motor Corp. ordered its lawyers to turn over tens of thousands of pages of internal documents that the company has already provided to Congress, which is investigating the company's vehicle recalls.
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State actions may drive Toyota MDL
State court cases play a significant role in mass torts, including the federal multidistrict litigation against Toyota Motor Corp. That's why the judge assigned to five lawyers the role of liaison counsel to a raft of state court cases, many of which are being coordinated for pretrial proceedings.
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Judge delays appointment of lead counsel in Toyota shareholder litigation
A federal judge has delayed appointing the lead plaintiffs' attorneys in the shareholder litigation against Toyota Motor Corp. until U.S. Supreme Court decides whether foreign purchasers of a company's U.S. stock have standing to sue in the United States.
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California Toyota litigation coordinated in Los Angeles
Dozens of sudden-acceleration lawsuits filed against Toyota Motor Corp. in California's state courts will be coordinated in Los Angeles. The order issued by California Chief Justice Ronald George will please plaintiffs' lawyers, most of whom had argued for Los Angeles. Related federal multidistrict litigation encompassing more than 200 lawsuits is pending in nearby Santa Ana, Calif.
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Judge sides with plaintiffs on deposing executives in Toyota MDL
A federal judge tentatively ruled on Wednesday against Toyota Motor Corp. on a key discovery request, refusing to delay depositions of company executives in the multidistrict litigation over sudden, uncontrolled acceleration.
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Special masters appointed to help with discovery in Toyota MDL
The federal judge overseeing a group of more than 200 lawsuits against Toyota Motor Corp. in California has appointed two special masters to help marshal the multidistrict litigation.
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Toyota headed to court over Prius problem
Of the bumper crop of recalls announced by Toyota Motor Corp. during the past year, those associated with reports of sudden uncontrolled acceleration have fueled the most lawsuits. But a defect in the braking system of the popular Prius hybrid has stepped up a dozen more lawsuits, which may result in a second round of multidistrict litigation.
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Judge approves discovery agreement in Toyota MDL
The judge in the multidistrict litigation against Toyota Motor Corp. over sudden unintended acceleration approved a joint discovery plan on Tuesday, forestalling a fight over access to evidence. The agreement allows Toyota's lawyers to investigate the vehicles at issue and plaintiffs' attorneys to depose executives about the automaker's electronic throttle control system.
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Judge refuses to toss suit over Prius headlights
A federal judge in Los Angeles refused on Monday to throw out a class action against Toyota Motor Corp. over defective headlights on their Prius vehicles.
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Bernstein Litowitz lead counsel in Toyota shareholder suit
Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossman was named lead counsel on Monday in the shareholder class action against Toyota Motor Corp. over sudden unintended acceleration.
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Consolidated Toyota class action cites California consumer protections
Lawyers in the multidistrict litigation against Toyota Motor Corp. have filed their first consolidated complaint, alleging that the Japanese carmaker knowingly hid defects associated with unintended acceleration since 2002 while falsely assuring consumers about the safety of its vehicles.
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A conversation with the lawyer who reported Toyota to the feds
In May, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced a probe of a 2005 recall involving steering-related problems in Toyota vehicles. NHTSA had been tipped off by John Kristensen, who sued the company last year alleging that Toyota had long known about the steering rod problems, having issued a recall because of the same problem in Japan the year before.
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Emerging Toyota defect evidence prompts new look at homicide cases
Koua Fong Lee was released from prison on Aug. 5 in Minnesota after new evidence was introduced suggesting that his 1996 Toyota Camry could have suddenly accelerated on its own before he crashed into an Oldsmobile on a highway ramp four years ago.
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Way cleared for foreign Toyota owners to sue
A federal judge has granted permission for millions of Toyota owners in foreign countries to file a separate consolidated complaint against Toyota Motor Corp. over claims associated with the unintended acceleration recalls.
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Toyota moves to dismiss MDL claims
Toyota Motor Corp. has moved to dismiss hundreds of lawsuits seeking damages associated with its recalls related to sudden unintended acceleration.
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Judge may allow additional claims against Toyota
The future hangs in the balance for more than 100 lawsuits filed against Toyota Motor Corp. over claims associated with unintended acceleration following a hearing on Monday in the multidistrict litigation.
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Toyota moves to dismiss suit over driver's death
Toyota Motor Corp. has filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit brought on behalf of a woman in Greensville County, Va., who died last year after her 2010 Camry suddenly accelerated and slammed into a tree.
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Toyota plaintiffs add counts under Japanese securities law
Lawyers for shareholders of Toyota Motor Corp. who suffered losses tied to massive recalls and claims of sudden acceleration of its vehicles have filed a consolidated complaint invoking Japanese securities laws against the company and several of its officers and directors.
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Plaintiffs' steering committee named in Texas MDL against Toyota
A judge has approved a plaintiffs' steering committee that will manage about 20 cases filed in state court in Texas alleging claims of sudden acceleration against Toyota Motor Corp.
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Plaintiffs file amended complaint in Toyota MDL to address judge's concerns, Toyota's defenses
Plaintiffs' lawyers in the multidistrict litigation (MDL) against Toyota Motor Corp. over sudden acceleration claims have filed a 695-page amended complaint in an attempt to salvage dozens of their cases, which assert economic damages on behalf of consumers and businesses.
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Toyota says plaintiffs' lawyers are 'grasping at straws'
Toyota Motor Corp. has moved to dismiss a complaint in the multidistrict litigation (MDL) involving unintended acceleration defects, claiming that plaintiffs' lawyers are "seemingly faced with an increasingly uphill battle to define any technical problem" with Toyota's electronic throttle control system.
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Toyota attacks plaintiffs' evidence on eve of key hearing
Toyota Motor Corp. took to the Internet on Thursday to attack the evidence raised by plaintiffs' attorneys in the Santa Ana, Calif.-based multidistrict litigation arising from reports of sudden unintended acceleration by Toyota vehicles.
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Judge refuses to dismiss economic claims against Toyota
A federal judge refused to dismiss the multidistrict litigation against Toyota Motor Corp. brought by car owners who claim sudden unintended acceleration caused the value of their vehicles to plummet.
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Judge rejects Toyota's motions to dismiss acceleration claims
A federal judge issued tentative orders Wednesday mainly rejecting Toyota Motor Corp.'s motions to dismiss lawsuits alleging that defects in vehicles caused them to suddenly accelerate, resulting in injuries and death.
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Toyota cleared to depose non-California plaintiffs in MDL
A federal judge on Thursday gave Toyota Motor Corp. permission to depose 10 plaintiffs among the 200 class actions asserting economic damages tied to sudden uncontrolled acceleration — and gave both sides four months to identify which case will be the first to go to trial.
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Prius headlights class action certified following settlement
A federal judge certified a class of potentially 320,000 owners and lessees of Prius hybrids who have reached a settlement with Toyota Motor Corp. over claims that their LED headlights are defective because they intermittently shut off.
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Toyota's latest headache: Insurers join the queue
Lawsuits filed by some of the nation's largest insurance companies have opened a new front in the litigation against Toyota Motor Corp. over claims that defects in its vehicles caused them to suddenly accelerate out of control.
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Toyota argues shareholder claims are fatally 'flawed'
Toyota Motor Corp. moved on to dismiss a consolidated lawsuit alleging that its shareholders suffered massive losses following a string of recent recalls associated with floor mats and accelerator pedals.
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Judge refuses to dismiss claims alleging Prius brake defect
A federal judge has refused to dismiss about a dozen cases alleging that Toyota Motor Corp. failed to inform consumers about a defect in the antilock braking systems of certain Prius and Lexus models.
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Plaintiffs' lawyers undaunted by government report favorable to Toyota
A government report finding no electronic defects in Toyota Motor Corp. vehicles will mean little for the more than 200 lawsuits pending over sudden acceleration claims, according to plaintiffs' lawyers handling those cases.
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Plaintiffs shift focus to lack of brake override
Plaintiffs' attorneys are attempting to swerve around a government report that largely substantiated Toyota Motor Corp.'s position that its electronic throttle system wasn't to blame for sudden unintended acceleration that led to crashes, economic losses and deaths.
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Citing government study, Toyota moves to dismiss class action over economic damages
One week after a U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that a recently concluded report found no electronic defects in its vehicles, Toyota Motor Corp. has moved to dismiss a consolidated class action based in part on the study's findings.
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Plaintiffs' lawyers want details about new round of recalls at Toyota
Plaintiffs' lawyers leading the multidistrict litigation against Toyota Motor Corp. said they are investigating whether new recalls totaling 2.17 million vehicles are truly limited to defects associated with the gas pedals.
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Security tight as Toyota shares its 'crown jewels'
Toyota Motor Corp. plans to impose iris and palm-print scans on plaintiffs' attorneys who will review the source code for the electronic throttle-control system at issue in multidistrict litigation over sudden unintended acceleration.
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Crisis in Japan delays Toyota litigation
The earthquake and tsunami in Japan delayed portions of the multidistrict litigation against Toyota Motor Corp. last week as lawyers appeared in court to move forward on critical discovery issues.
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Plaintiffs insist they need a look at government findings
Plaintiffs' lawyers in the multidistrict litigation against Toyota Motor Corp. over sudden acceleration claims intend to challenge a "hotly disputed" governmental report that concluded that defects in Toyota vehicles were limited to gas pedals and floor mats, according to court documents.
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Plaintiffs attempt to preserve a large class of claims against Toyota
Plaintiffs' lawyers representing shareholders of Toyota Motor Corp. are fighting to preserve claims brought under a Japanese securities law that executives failed to inform investors about the problems associated with sudden acceleration, according to court documents.
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Deal reached on access to Toyota's source code
Toyota Motor Corp. has agreed on the final details about how to turn over its source code, the "crown jewels" of the company, to the lead plaintiffs' lawyers in the multidistrict litigation over sudden acceleration.
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Toyota prevails in first acceleration claim to go to trial
In the first sudden acceleration case to go to trial, a New York federal jury has found that Toyota Motor Sales was not strictly liable because the product in question wasn't defective.
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Judge tosses overseas claims against Toyota
A judge has dismissed a consolidated lawsuit brought by Toyota consumers in foreign countries over sudden acceleration claims, while allowing a lawyer representing foreign plaintiffs to re-assert certain claims, including some under the RICO Act.
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Toyota claims survive; no judicial notice of government report in MDL
A federal judge has refused to grant Toyota Motor Corp.'s motion to dismiss a consolidated class action involving sudden acceleration claims, concluding in a tentative ruling that the plaintiffs had raised sufficient injuries to move forward. Read the story. -
Toyota dealers tell their tales
Lawyers in nearly 100 lawsuits against Toyota Motor Corp. in California are getting one step closer to trial, with deliberations underway about which case should go first and depositions set to begin of dealers who sold allegedly defective vehicles. Read the story. -
Economic claims against Toyota pass test
A federal judge has ruled that class claims for economic damages against Toyota Motor Corp. in the sudden, unintended acceleration multidistrict litigation can go forward based on the injuries alleged. Read the story. -
Plaintiffs fight to sue Toyota in California
Should consumers who relied upon Toyota Motor Corp.'s guarantees of reliability and safety be allowed to recover damages under relatively permissive California state law -- regardless of the state in which they live or purchased Toyota vehicles? Arguments over that point have grown heated in the MDL over defects in Toyota's acceleration systems.
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Judge inclined to toss some Toyota shareholder claims
A federal judge said Monday that she was inclined to dismiss some of the claims filed by shareholders who allege that the Toyota Motor Corp.'s sudden acceleration problems caused a drop in the stock price. Read the story. -
Ruling limits number of Toyota claims that can be tried under California law
A federal judge has dealt a major blow to the lead plaintiffs' attorneys in the multidistrict litigation against Toyota Motor Corp. over sudden acceleration claims, dramatically reducing the size of a potential class action filed on behalf of consumers. Read the story. -
Lawyers argue over scope of discovery in Toyota litigation
Lawyers in the sudden acceleration litigation against Toyota Motor Corp., faced with the increased pressure of meeting new scheduling deadlines, clashed during a June 10 hearing over the scope of discovery Toyota needs to produce before the first trial begins on Feb. 19, 2013. Read the story. -
Bellwether Toyota trials are crucial
Paul Van Alfen's case is one of six identified as potential "bellwether" trials against Toyota, which faces 100 lawsuits brought on behalf of individuals who died or were injured in accidents attributed to sudden-acceleration defects in their vehicles.
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Calif. law won't apply to all Toyota economic-loss cases
The gist of the ruling is that an MDL court should not use its vast authority over procedural issues to affect substantive law, writes NLJ columnist J. Russell Jackson.
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Toyota enlists Boutrous in its appeal of class ruling
Theodore Boutrous, coming off a significant U.S. Supreme Court victory for Wal-Mart Stores Inc., has joined the legal team of Toyota Motor Corp., which simultaneously announced plans to pursue the appeal of a ruling affecting class actions in the sudden acceleration litigation.
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For Toyota, a point of venue
In a stifling hot courtroom on a July afternoon, Los Angeles County, Calif., Superior Court Judge Anthony Mohr deliberated the proper jurisdiction for billions of dollars in claims filed by the insurers of Toyota owners who alleged their vehicles suddenly accelerated out of control.
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Judge tosses major portion of Toyota shareholder suit
A federal judge has dismissed a large portion of the shareholder litigation against Toyota Motor Corp., concluding that U.S. courts lack jurisdiction to hear claims brought under Japanese securities laws.
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Toyota cleared to appeal ruling on standing
A federal judge has given Toyota the green light to appeal his refusal to dismiss the sudden acceleration claims brought on behalf of consumers nationwide.
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Judge reaffirms order for Toyota dealers to turn over documents
A judge in Los Angeles ordered dealerships to manually turn over repair records to plaintiffs' attorneys in the sudden acceleration litigation against Toyota Motor Corp. after an attempt by plaintiffs' lawyers to view such documents during a visit to a Los Angeles dealership collapsed in confusion.
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Judge nixes early appeal of ruling trimming Toyota class action
Plaintiffs' attorneys in the federal sudden acceleration litigation against Toyota Motor Corp. received a second blow to their claims for economic damages when a judge refused to certify their request to appeal his substantial reduction of the scope of their potential class action.
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Judge stalls Prius headlight settlement, citing 'big problem' with fees
A federal judge, citing concerns about a request for attorney fees, has put the brakes on a proposed class action settlement between Toyota Motor Corp. and nearly 300,000 owners and lessees of Prius hybrids who claimed that their headlights were defective because they intermittently shut off. Read the story. -
Toyota loses bid to kill bellwether sudden-acceleration case
Toyota Motor Corp.'s move to dismiss the first bellwether case in the litigation over sudden acceleration claims failed when a federal judge tentatively denied the motion on Sept. 12. Read the story. -
Toyota bellwether case stalls amid arguments about whether dealership should be party
A wrongful death case hand-selected as the first to go to trial against Toyota Motor Corp. over alleged sudden acceleration defects might be delayed amid arguments over whether the dealership that serviced the vehicle should be included as a defendant. Read the story. -
The states are getting in on the MDL action
The field of combat in the Toyota sudden-acceleration litigation is the Central District of California, where 300 cases have been coordinated in federal multidistrict litigation. But there are plenty of side skirmishes in state courts, which over the years have emulated the federal coordination system. Read the story. -
First case against Toyota headed for trial next spring
A Los Angeles judge has tentatively scheduled the nation's first trial against Toyota over its sudden acceleration defects for April 2012. Meanwhile, a federal judge tossed out the leading bellwether case in a related multidistrict litigation proceeding. Read the story. -
Economic claims against Toyota going to trial in July 2013
A proposed class action alleging economic losses on behalf of consumers in California and a few other states, caused by alleged sudden, unintended acceleration by Toyota vehicles, will begin in July 2013, the federal judge overseeing the multidistrict litigation said on Oct. 11. Read the story. -
Judge slashes 'highly unreasonable' fee request in Prius headlight case
A federal judge in Los Angeles struck down the proposed attorney fees in a class action settlement against Toyota Motor Corp. over Prius headlights, calling the $4.7 million request "highly unreasonable" for a case with "narrow, not complex" legal work. Read the story. -
9th Circuit agrees to hear early appeal in Toyota MDL
A federal appeals court has granted Toyota Motor Corp.'s request to immediately review a lower court ruling that allowed millions of consumers to sue the company for damages even though their cars didn't experience a defect or sell for reduced prices following the company's recall of more than 8 million vehicles to repair the defect. Read the story. -
Judge tentatively dismisses foreign plaintiffs' economic claims against Toyota
A federal judge has tentatively dismissed claims by consumers in foreign countries who assert economic damages against Toyota Motor Corp. based on defects associated with sudden acceleration. Read the story. -
Toyota strikes at the heart of consumer claims over sudden acceleration
Toyota Motor Corp. has moved to dismiss the lead complaint brought on behalf of a class of consumers, arguing that most of the vehicles at issue have not experienced the sudden acceleration problems similar to those that caused a massive product recall. Read the story. -
State lawsuits against Toyota encounter turbulence
The bumpy ride toward the first trial against Toyota over sudden-acceleration claims got bumpier when a Los Angeles judge told lead plaintiffs' lawyers to tear up the complaints in their proposed bellwether cases and suggested that a wrongful death case might have a higher priority. Read the story. -
Toyota blames driver for fatal accident, signaling MDL defense
The deceased driver is to blame for a crash involving a 2008 Camry that allegedly lurched forward while on an exit ramp off Interstate 80, according to a court document filed by Toyota Motor Corp. Read the story. -
Who gets to take the first crack at Toyota?
A state trial judge will select bellwether cases this month. Read the story. -
Lead-off Toyota case selected as group demands NHTSA records
A California judge on Thursday selected the first bellwether case against Toyota in consolidated state litigation over the automaker's sudden, unintended acceleration problems. Read the story. -
Toyota loses bid to carve big slice out of economic-damages claims
A federal judge has rejected Toyota Motor Corp.'s move to compel arbitration of claims filed by 20 of the 27 named plaintiffs in a bellwether class action asserting economic damages because of sudden, unintended acceleration by the company's vehicles. Read the story. -
First Toyota claim set for jury selection on Nov. 1
A California judge has set a trial schedule in the sudden acceleration litigation against Toyota Motor Corp. that would place a high-profile wrongful death case before jurors by Jan. 1. Read the story. -
Sanctions urged against Toyota over inspection of crash data device
Lawyers pursuing the first nationwide trial over sudden acceleration defects have moved for sanctions, accusing Toyota of violating a preservation order by secretly inspecting the event data recorder on a 2008 Camry that was involved in an accident in Utah. Read the story. -
Toyota asks Ninth Circuit to order acceleration claims into arbitration
Toyota Motor Corp. has appealed last month's rejection by a federal judge of its motion to compel arbitration in the consolidated economic class action over sudden acceleration. Read the story. -
Ruling would gut sudden-acceleration claims against Toyota
A federal judge has tentatively dismissed the economic damages claims of consumers in Florida and New York against Toyota Motor Corp. in the litigation over sudden acceleration by Toyota vehicles, on the ground that they hadn't actually experienced the problem. Read the story. -
Court budget woes could complicate Toyota litigation
Los Angeles judicial administrators' plan to close courtrooms and cut staff may make the sudden acceleration litigation against Toyota Motor Corp. more expensive for the attorneys involved. Read the story. -
Toyota faces sanction over inspection of crash vehicle
A federal judge overseeing the first nationwide trial involving sudden, unintended acceleration has tentatively issued a sanction against Toyota, concluding that the company's failure to contact a lawyer for the victims of a 2010 car crash before inspecting the vehicle cast a "cloud of suspicion" over its behavior. Read the story. -
Toyota plaintiffs denied leave to appeal ruling gutting case
For the second time in the Toyota sudden-acceleration litigation, a federal judge has rejected plaintiffs attorneys' request for leave to appeal the dismissal of claims filed on behalf of consumers alleging economic losses. Read the story. -
Toyota plaintiffs unbowed
California is home to the federal multidistrict litigation that includes essentially all federal cases from across the country filed against Toyota. On separate consolidated tracks are cases raising claims under California, New York and Texas state laws. By all indications, 2013 will be the year those cases come to trial. Read the story. -
Toyota settlement shines light on agency's proposed 'black box' rule
In the wake of Toyota Motor Corp.'s estimated $1.3 billion settlement involving claims of unintended acceleration, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration continues to push for a rule that would require manufacturers to install "black boxes" in all new cars to record accident data. Read the story. -
$1.3 billion settlement reached in Toyota acceleration class
Toyota Motor Corp. has agreed to pay more than $1 billion to settle multi-district litigation over financial losses associated with acceleration problems reported in some Toyota and Lexus vehicles. Read the story. -
Toyota settles bellwether wrongful death case
A sudden-acceleration case against Toyota Motor Corp. is headed for settlement, a turn of events that would call off a bellwether trial against the automaker scheduled for next month. Read the story. -
Toyota sanctions waiver might explain purported settlement
A sudden-acceleration lawsuit against Toyota Motor Corp.—which the plaintiff's attorney says has settled—was declared a bellwether case because it raises issues similar to hundreds of pending wrongful death and personal injury lawsuits against the automaker. Read the story. -
Toyota loses again in bid to force arbitration of Prius claims
A federal appeals court has struck down Toyota Motor Corp.'s attempt to arbitrate claims that it failed to inform consumers about defects in the anti-lock braking systems of certain Prius and Lexus vehicles. Read the story. -
Toyota settles with attorneys general for $29M
Toyota Motor Corp. and its U.S. subsidiaries agreed on February 14 to pay $29 million to resolve investigations by attorneys general in 29 states into whether it misled consumers about the safety of its vehicles. Read the story. -
Settlements don't end Toyota's legal headaches
Toyota Motor Corp. has agreed to pay more than $1 billion to resolve hundreds of lawsuits centered on alleged sudden acceleration defects associated with the recall of more than 10 million vehicles, but the company's legal troubles don't end there. Read the story.
