Toyota Economic Damages Could Surpass $7 Billion, Says Plaintiffs Attorney

[Omaha Steve]

Source: The National Law Journal

Amanda Bronstad

Plaintiffs 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.

"I think we're blazing a new trail," said W. Daniel "Dee" Miles III, a partner at Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles in Montgomery, Ala. He said the Toyota cases come with unique circumstances compared to other consumer class actions.

Miles spoke during a full-day conference at the Westin South Coast Plaza hotel in Costa Mesa, Calif., organized by the scores of plaintiffs firms in the multidistrict litigation (MDL) against Toyota. The first hearing in the MDL was scheduled for today in federal court in nearby Santa Ana, Calif. The court was expected to discuss which plaintiffs lawyers will serve on the lead counsel committees in the case.

U.S. District Judge James Selna of the Central District of California issued a temporary order on Wednesday appointing Cari Dawson and Lisa Gilford of Alston & Bird as lead defense counsel in the economic loss cases, and Vince Galvin and Joel Smith of Bowman and Brooke as lead defense counsel in the personal injury and wrongful death cases. He did not appoint specific plaintiffs lawyers in his order.


Read more: http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1202458098610&Toyota_Economic_Damages_Could_Surpass__Billion_Says_Plaintiffs_Attorney

[dipsydoodle]

1. Yeh - Blaze Away

All they've got to do is justify that figure with regard to diminished values.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dv171G3cfrI

[AnneD]

2. And whose fault is that.....

I bet those short cuts don't look so cheap now. I think BP is learning the same thing now.

[happygoluckytoyou]

3. "I think we're blazing a new trail,".... must be the gas leak and optional braking system ! !