Los Angeles is close to Toyota’s US headquarters in Torrance, where many key documents and witnesses are located, Dawson said. In addition, the first potential class-action case was filed there in November.
“All these cases have common issues. There will be significant overlap,’’ Dawson told the judges. “The Central District of California is uniquely qualified.’’
Several of the 24 plaintiffs’ lawyers who spoke at the hearing favored Los Angeles, which has at least 34 Toyota cases pending.
Others lawyers have said, however, that a different site might eliminate an appearance of hometown bias.
Some plaintiffs’ lawyers favored centralizing the cases in Kentucky, where Toyota has a large plant and engineering facility, or in Louisiana, New Jersey, Ohio, South Carolina, New York, and elsewhere.
Lawyers said Toyota faces 138 potential class-action lawsuits over falling vehicle values and about 97 personal injury and wrongful death cases in federal courts nationwide.
The panel expects to make a decision in about two weeks. It will set the stage for eventual trial or settlement of lawsuits that could cost Toyota billions of dollars in damages.
The automaker has repeatedly denied electronics are the cause of the acceleration problems.
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