Law Firms Join Forces in Toyota Recall Litigation

25 law firms in 20 states have joined together and formed a consortium to file a class action lawsuit against Toyota Motor Corp. 20 other lawsuits seeking class action status on behalf of consumers have also been filed against Toyota because of accelerator problems that led to a recall of more than 8 million automobiles. A court hearing to determine whether the cases will be consolidated is March 25 before a multidistrict panel in U.S. District Court in San Diego. Total damages sought in the consolidated class actions could be greater than $2 billion.

Tim Howard is the coordinator of the group, known as the Attorneys Toyota Action Consortium. Howard is a professor of law and policy at Northeastern University and an attorney at Howard Associates, P.A. in Tallahassee, Florida.