Judge James V. Selna of Santa Ana, California has hand-picked twenty-six attorneys to lead the nationwide litigation against Toyota Motor Corp. Toyota has recalled more than eight million of its vehicles due to sudden and uncontrolled acceleration. The litigation against Toyota includes 200 lawsuits. Most of the lawsuits seek economic damages for consumer classes whose recalled vehicles have lost value, the rest are personal injury claims on behalf of individuals who were injured or died when their cars accelerated out of control.
Judge Selna appointed twenty-two plaintiffs' lawyers and four defense lawyers for Toyota. Most of the attorneys have worked together in the past and all have handled complex litigation. Many of the attorneys were involved in the massive tobacco litigation in the 1990s and lead the litigation over recalled painkillers Vioxx, Celebrex, and Bextra. Others spearheaded the litigation against Ford and Firestone over recalled tires linked to Ford Explorer accidents. A few of the attorneys were picked for their expertise in handling airplane and train crash litigation.
All of the appointed attorneys are "familiar with the difficult terrain of personal injury cases," particularly those involving automobiles. Toyota's two lawyers who will be defending the economic loss claims come from Atlanta.
The outcome of the litigation will determine Toyota's liability and serve as a guide for future lawsuits against the auto-maker.
