A Palm Beach Circuit Court ruling upped the ante in a case against Toyota Motor Corp. from estimates of $15 million to $20 million to a potential $135 million to $180 million, the plaintiffs attorney said.

Judge Meenu Sasser decided Tuesday that lawyers for Bret Quinlan will be allowed to ask for punitive damages against the automaker in an accident blamed on a faulty acceleration system in his 2001 Camry.