Firm News

Toyota Deliberately Withheld Faulty Design Evidence In Crash Lawsuits

Toyota deliberately withheld vehicle design and testing evidence during lawsuits filed by consumers injured in crashes of Toyota autos.

Toyota chose to settle cases with injured consumers to avoid disclosing a database known as the "Book of Knowledge."  The Toyota documents "show a systematic disregard for the law and routine violation of court discovery orders in product liability litigation," according to one lawmaker.  Other lawmakers and federal safety regulators have accused Toyota of concealing safety problems over cases of sudden unintended acceleration of Toyota and Lexis vehicles.  

Many consumers that purchased Toyota and Lexis vehicles that were involved in the recall may feel fortunate that these known defects have not injured them or a family member.  What these consumers may not be thinking about is how much the fair market value of their vehicle has declined due to the intentional concealment of these problems.   

Under the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act, if a seller or manufacturer intentionally conceals a known defect of a product, the consumer may be entitled to: 1) actual damage for the decrease in the value of their vehicle; 2) three times the actual damage as punishment to the manufacturer; 3) attorney fees and 4) the cost of litigation.

Read More About Toyota Deliberately Withheld Faulty Design Evidence In Crash Lawsuits...

back to top