Toyota to Face Sudden-Acceleration Trial in 2013, Judge Says
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Toyota Motor Corp. will face the first test trial in February 2013 of lawsuits combined in federal court that claim a defect causes the company’s vehicles to speed up uncontrollably, a judge said.
U.S. District Judge James V. Selna in Santa Ana, California, said in a “tentative order” posted on his court’s website that the first bellwether trial would be of claims by the families of two people killed in a Nov. 5, 2010, crash in Utah. Paul Van Alfen died when his 2008 Toyota Camry crashed into a wall. Passenger Charlene Lloyd died the next day.