The field of combat in the Toyota sudden-acceleration litigation is the Central District of California, where 300 cases have been coordinated in federal multidistrict litigation. But there are plenty of side skirmishes in state courts, which over the years have emulated the federal coordination system.
Despite his considerable authority to manage the federal actions, U.S. District Judge James Selna has zero involvement in whether the state actions, pending in California, New York and Texas, get coordinated. Their management depends much on the distinct rules of the states, which have seen the number of mass torts and other large cases increase alongside a rise in federal multidistrict litigation.
