Toyota Motor Corp. won the right to appeal a federal judge's ruling that car owners who hadn't experienced unintended acceleration could sue the company over economic losses related to the alleged defect.
U.S. District Judge James V. Selna in Santa Ana, California, said Tuesday that Toyota could immediately challenge part of his May decision rejecting the company's bid to dismiss the suits. Toyota can seek to appeal his ruling granting "standing," or the right to sue, to certain vehicle owners, Selna said.
The appeal would focus on the issue "of whether each plaintiff must allege that he or she has experienced a manifestation of the product's alleged defect in order to allege that he or she suffered an injury," Selna said. "An immediate appeal" of the standing ruling "will materially advance the ultimate termination of this litigation," he added.