/ Source: The Associated Press
A federal judge in California says he won't dismiss lawsuits against Toyota from car owners who claim sudden-acceleration defects caused the value of the vehicles to plummet.
In a 63-page tentative ruling, U.S. District Judge James Selna says the lawsuits filed after a series of recalls by the Japanese automaker can move forward. Selna said Friday that he expects to issue a final ruling within a week.
Toyota Motor Corp. maintains the plaintiffs have been unable to prove that a design defect is responsible for vehicles surging unexpectedly.
The company has recalled more than 10 million vehicles worldwide over the last year. It has blamed driver error, faulty floor mats and sticky accelerator pedals for the unintended acceleration.