The feds have filed a racketeering lawsuit against Toyota Motor Sales. The company is in hot water after a former high-ranking attorney for the company has come forward accusing the company of illegally concealing evidence in SUV rollover lawsuits. Dimitrios P. Biller, former attorney for the motor group, has claimed the company routinely withheld crucial evidence in lawsuits against SUV and pickup rollover accidents.
Biller claims he lost his job with the company after confronting Toyota officials about this withholding of evidence. He says executives repeatedly informed him they were not interested in complying with their legal obligation to present damaging evidence in the plaintiff’s favor.
Biller further went on to say that he was instructed to withhold and even destroy electronic evidence in rollover lawsuits. According to the accusations, Toyota engineers were instructed to commit perjury while on the stand. Engineers claimed to be unaware of the dangers of the vehicle, however, the lawsuits point to instability caused by a high center of gravity and narrow track width. The lawsuits claim Toyota was aware of the problem and failed to disclose that the vehicle performed poorly in safety tests. The cars have been shown to flip over at speeds as low as 32 miles per hour. The lawsuits further assert that Toyota could have employed Electronic Stability Control and alternative roof designs in order to make the vehicles safer.
Toyota is attempting to have the record sealed in these racketeering claims, due to fears that Biller will expose privileged information about the company. The decision will affect over 300 rollover lawsuits.
If you are considering filing an SUV rollover lawsuit against Toyota, or if you already have, please speak with an Orange County personal injury attorney to discuss how this decision may affect your case.
To read more about the lawsuits, please read more about it at CBS News. Image Via Kevitivity [Flickr]