Toyota Settles Over California Deaths

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Toyota Settles Over California Deaths

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Sept 18, 2010: NY Times Toyota Settles Over California Deaths
An out-of-court settlement has been reached between Toyota and relatives of a family killed when the Lexus sedan they were driving sped out of control and crashed. The accident put a national spotlight on the sudden acceleration problems that later prompted the automaker to recall millions of vehicles.
The crash, which happened in August 2009 near San Diego, was documented with gripping evidence that drew nationwide attention. A backseat passenger called 911 to say that the driver, an off-duty California Highway Patrol officer named Mark Saylor, was unable to stop the 2009 Lexus E350, which went as fast as 120 miles per hour on a freeway before hitting another vehicle and landing in a ravine.
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Re: Toyota Settles Over California Deaths

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Dec 20, 2010: LA Times: Toyota can't hide settlement terms, judge rules
  • Toyota cannot keep secret the terms of a settlement it made with the family of four people killed in a Lexus accident outside San Diego last year, a Los Angeles judge has ruled. Last summer, the Japanese automaker reached a settlement with relatives of the victims for an undisclosed amount. In September, Toyota and the families asked Superior Court Judge Anthony J. Mohr to seal that agreement, arguing that revealing the financial details could prejudice public opinion against Toyota and also affect other pending litigation involving both parties.
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Re: Toyota Settles Over California Deaths

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Dec 24, 2010:LA Times Toyota settlement may set bar for sudden-acceleration payouts
The $10-million settlement may affect other cases involving sudden acceleration
Toyota, for its part, has said that the Saylor settlement was not an admission of liability.
Instead it has strongly suggested that the San Diego accident was the fault of Bob Baker Lexus, which lent the vehicle to Saylor the day of the crash.
"Mr. Baker now wants the amount publicized in an apparent effort to shift the focus away from his dealership as he continues to litigate this case," Toyota said.
Its statement included detailed allegations, noting, for instance, the Lexus dealership installed the wrong floor mat in the sedan.
Settlements in personal injury cases have run as high as $32 million in California. Jury verdicts have gone much higher. In 1999, a jury awarded $4.9 billion to six people burned in a crash involving a General Motors Corp. vehicle.
Toyota and the Saylor-Lastrella families had asked Mohr to seal the settlement amount on grounds that it could draw unwanted attention to the victims' families, color the opinion of future juries and risk irreparable damage to the automaker's reputation.
See the full story: Toyota settlement may set bar for sudden-acceleration payouts
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