Toyota, Plaintiffs Request Consolidation of Acceleration Lawsuits

By Jim Greene

Published on April 06, 2010

Attorneys for Toyota Motor Corp. and for plaintiffs in some of the sudden acceleration lawsuits against the company have asked a federal judicial panel to consolidate all federal cases in the matter in a single court. There is disagreement among attorneys as to which court should be chosen, and one plaintiffs' attorney said consolidation is not appropriate.

Complaints in nearly 200 class action lawsuits filed since November have included injury or death caused by sudden unexpected acceleration of Toyota vehicles, as well as financial loss caused by the company's alleged withholding of information relating to the issue. Owners claim the latter action has driven down the value of their vehicles, while investors claim they lost money buying shares at a price that dropped when the information came out.

Consolidation of Cases Meant to Save Time and Effort

The purpose of consolidation is to save time and effort by avoiding duplication of efforts in the discovery phase and reducing the possibility of conflicting pretrial rulings that may occur if cases are heard in multiple jurisdictions.

Consolidation often includes selecting a few example cases to be tried ahead of others, possibly setting precedents, and allowing attorneys insight into jury reaction to cases, a tactic that often promotes settlements out of court.

The consolidation process is based on the assumption that similar cases may result in similar outcomes. One Louisiana plaintiffs' attorney argued that the many Toyota cases offer sufficient dissimilarities that consolidation will not be appropriate.

Los Angeles-area Court is Leading Candidate

Toyota attorneys, along with several plaintiffs' attorneys, favor consolidation in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, with several departments in the greater Los Angeles area, because of its proximity to Toyota U.S. headquarters in the city of Torrance, in Los Angeles County. One plaintiffs' attorney suggested consolidation in Kentucky, where Toyota produces most of its Camry models. A New York attorney suggested a Brooklyn courthouse convenient to his Manhattan office.

If you or someone you know has suffered injury, death, or financial damage as a result of an auto accident, contact an experienced attorney. Consolidation increases the pace of legal action, and your attorney will have the latest information to help you file your case for the financial compensation you deserve.

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