A $1.2 billion settlement between Toyota Motor Corp. and the U.S. Department of Justice will have little direct effect on negotiations to settle remaining lawsuits over deaths and injuries associated with sudden acceleration, but could sway jurors should those cases go to trial, according to attorneys involved in those actions.
In a deferred-prosecution agreement announced on Wednesday, Toyota admitted that it made misleading statements to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Congress regarding its knowledge of defects associated with floor mats and sticky gas pedals—the subjects of two recalls in 2009 and 2010. The deal made no mention of any defects in its electronic throttle systems, the core allegation in lawsuits filed against Toyota.
