Utah News

A sudden-acceleration lawsuit against Toyota Motor Corp.—which the plaintiff's attorney says has settled—was declared a bellwether case because it raises issues similar to hundreds of pending wrongful death and personal injury lawsuits against the automaker. Except for one thing: sanctions.

A sudden-acceleration case against Toyota Motor Corp. is headed for settlement, a turn of events that would call off a bellwether trial against the automaker scheduled for next month.

Paul Van Alfen was exiting Interstate 80 in northwestern Utah last November when he lost control of his vehicle. The 2008 Toyota Camry lurched suddenly, and Van Alfen slammed on the brakes. But the car kept accelerating and crashed into a wall opposite the exit ramp.

Attorneys general in 16 states and the U.S. government want to put a little distance between themselves and the rest of the plaintiffs in the multidistrict litigation against BP PLC over the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. They've asked U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier in New Orleans to separate their cases from the hundreds of lawsuits brought on behalf of businesses and individuals.