SoCal federal court to hear Toyota lawsuits

Court Alerts

A federal judge in Southern California was chosen Friday to preside over more than 200 lawsuits filed against Toyota in the aftermath of the automaker’s sudden acceleration problems, which could potentially mushroom into one of the nation’s biggest product liability cases.

A judicial panel consolidated the ever-growing list of cases before U.S. District Judge James V. Selna, 65, a 2003 appointee of former President George W. Bush. Selna’s court is in Orange County, close to Toyota’s U.S. headquarters.

“This is a big milestone in what will be a very historic case,” said Tim Howard, a Northeastern University law professor who leads a group of attorneys in 26 states who are suing Toyota.

Attorneys estimate that if Toyota were to settle the cases for even a modest payout to affected motorists, it could cost the company at least $3 billion and possibly much more.

In comparison, drugmaker Merck & Co. has paid more than $4.8 billion into a settlement fund for tens of thousands of claims from people who used its withdrawn painkiller Vioxx.

Related listings

  • North Dakota decisions end Fighting Sioux nickname

    North Dakota decisions end Fighting Sioux nickname

    Court Alerts 04/09/2010

    The Fighting Sioux nickname is gone for good at the University of North Dakota.On Thursday, decisions by North Dakota's Supreme Court and Board of Higher Education led to the retirement of the long-disputed nickname.The court ruled that the board had...

  • US court rules against FCC on `net neutrality'

    US court rules against FCC on `net neutrality'

    Court Alerts 04/06/2010

    A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that the Federal Communications Commission lacks the authority to require broadband providers to give equal treatment to all Internet traffic flowing over their networks.The ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals fo...

  • Drug lab suspect in Calif. court for other case

    Drug lab suspect in Calif. court for other case

    Court Alerts 04/06/2010

    A former technician accused of skimming drugs from San Francisco's crime lab has appeared in court for an unrelated drug case.Deborah Madden pleaded not guilty Monday to a felony cocaine possession charge in San Mateo County Superior Court.The case i...

Grounds for Divorce in Ohio - Sylkatis Law, LLC

A divorce in Ohio is filed when there is typically “fault” by one of the parties and party not at “fault” seeks to end the marriage. A court in Ohio may grant a divorce for the following reasons:
• Willful absence of the adverse party for one year
• Adultery
• Extreme cruelty
• Fraudulent contract
• Any gross neglect of duty
• Habitual drunkenness
• Imprisonment in a correctional institution at the time of filing the complaint
• Procurement of a divorce outside this state by the other party

Additionally, there are two “no-fault” basis for which a court may grant a divorce:
• When the parties have, without interruption for one year, lived separate and apart without cohabitation
• Incompatibility, unless denied by either party

However, whether or not the the court grants the divorce for “fault” or not, in Ohio the party not at “fault” will not get a bigger slice of the marital property.

Business News

St Peters, MO Professional License Attorney Attorney John Lynch has been the go-to choice for many professionals facing administrative sanction. >> read