Toyota Motor Corp goes before a jury for the first time in a lawsuit over a claim that unexpected acceleration of one of its cars caused a death. Opening statements are scheduled to start as early as today in California state court in Los Angeles, where about 85 personal-injury and wrongful-death acceleration cases have been consolidated.
The suit being tried, filed by the husband and son of a woman who died in a crash, is a bellwether whose outcome may point the way to out-of-court resolution of others.