Former Toyota Lawyer Fesses about 300 concealed lawsuits.

As Toyota scrambles to contain its sudden acceleration crisis, another potential blow to the automaker's credibility is lurking in the form of a former staff attorney who is accusing the Japanese automaker of concealing safety issues from the public.

Dimitrios Biller of Pacific Palisades, Calif., who defended Toyota in product-liability cases until 2008, alleges in a federal lawsuit that the automaker has a long history of hiding and destroying evidence as part of a strategy orchestrated from company headquarters in Toyota City, Japan.

Toyota and its ex-employee have been involved in a tangle of litigation in state and federal courts for months, centered on 6,000 internal documents obtained by Biller. He said the documents show a pattern of illegal behavior in which Toyota fraudulently withheld evidence in product-liability claims.

At Toyota's urging, the documents have been kept confidential by court order since last summer. But now a California arbitrator is considering whether they can be made public. Attorneys for Toyota and Biller made their final filings in the matter last week, and a decision is expected soon.
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theoptimisticpessimist - 2/4/2010 12:57:06 PM

+7 Boost

Uh oh, the cracking dam is about to get hit with a flash flood.

tundrahq - 2/5/2010 11:01:30 AM

-1 Boost

FYI - This news is many, many months old. We reported it in Aug. 09 originally. Last month, another product liability attorney in Texas (not associated with Biller) reviewed all of Biller's materials and found them to be bogus.

Biller's history with Toyota is interesting. After two decades as a successful product liability attorney, Biller left Toyota because of an admitted "mental breakdown." When we originally covered this story, Biller's website had a letter of recommendation from his former boss at Toyota...a strange thing to promote when you're suing your ex-employer for hiding evidence.

Please don't view this as an attempt to downplay an issue - it's just that the most likely explanation is that Biller is a disgruntled employee trying to make trouble. You can read the whole story here: http://www.tundraheadquarters.com/blog/2009/08/29/toyota-racketeering-lawsuit/

America - 2/5/2010 1:18:45 PM

+5 Boost

FYI, bringing a frivolous lawsuit comes with huge penalties to the party bring the suit. A disgruntled employee cannot just make up documents and expect to stay out of prison. Tundra, you are making serious allegations of a felony crime with consequences of massive fines and prison time. With the amount that toyota spends on lawyers to defend itself, we can be confident that they have done everything that can to keep this out of the light of day and unfortunately for them, without success.

tundrahq - 2/24/2010 2:17:25 PM

0 Boost

America - Uh, what? There's no criminal penalty for filing a frivolous civil lawsuit. You can be counter-sued, but no one is going to toss you in the bing. There's nothing CRIMINAL about filing a frivolous lawsuit.

Where did you get your JD - out of a box of lucky charms?! LOL. Seriously - don't take my word for it. Look at this:

http://www.theledger.com/article/20091227/news/912275031&tc=yahoo

This is the story from the lawyer in Texas. He's very disappointed in Biller's documents. I think that Biller is a disturbed individual, but it doesn't look like there's any evidence on Toyota wrongdoing...at least in THIS matter.

America - 3/4/2010 2:18:56 PM

+1 Boost

tundra, you need to read more thoroughly. The accusation of forging documents is the crime. Frivolous lawsuits do come with penalties. Do not apply your poor reading skills to my statements please.

America - 3/4/2010 3:28:52 PM

+1 Boost

FYI tundra, lawyers can be suspended, held in contempt, disbarred for filing a frivolous lawsuit. Contempt charges can result in jail time. In most cases, the same standards don't apply immediately to unrepresented individuals, but attach later. For example, an unrepresented person may file a lawsuit, and then be given a warning about filing frivolous lawsuits. If they persist after the warning, and the lawsuit is frivolous, then there are consequences. Lawyers don't get the same "second chance" because they have an obligation to know better from the beginning.

kpaxx - 2/4/2010 1:04:39 PM

+7 Boost

Unbeleivable, if this gets push from the media toyota is going to be in big trouble! Sell your toyota now before it is worth nothing!

r_driver04 - 2/4/2010 2:02:43 PM

+7 Boost

And buy a Saturn, Pontiac or Hummer.

PerformanceGuy - 2/4/2010 1:20:57 PM

+7 Boost

Wow, this is ridiculous, I can't believe Toyota covered up this much dangerous information.

pepito66 - 2/4/2010 1:31:34 PM

0 Boost

Let see you never know what's going on.......

r_driver04 - 2/4/2010 2:05:03 PM

-3 Boost

They all do it. Nothing new.

I heard GM is sending out gym memberships to Cobalt owners, telling them to be sure and work out their biceps.

pepito66 - 2/4/2010 1:30:39 PM

0 Boost

I told you I just want a Goverment and Federal investigation and be clear with all customer , this is the begining of this mess I think they don't arrive to the bottom yet.....Oh my God...........in Miami Claudio Gonzalez,Owner of Kendall Toyota Dealer still saying on TV to all customer relax and drive with peace...because the problem is simple...just visit the dealer replace the pedal and everything is ok. I think he is mad because his dealer is empty...all of this was yesterday on Channel 51 and 22.....customer just want to know the TRUE..how safety are those cars.

r_driver04 - 2/4/2010 2:01:36 PM

+1 Boost

Looks like Toyota's hush money just ran out. I bet GM uses public defenders and that's why they keep taking those crazy beatings in court.

Joe_Limon - 2/4/2010 3:03:00 PM

+5 Boost

lol, his conspiracy theory has 6000 inside documents to back him up.

Shredmo - 2/4/2010 5:12:31 PM

+5 Boost

Cool off vladyxa. Why are you taking Toyota's demise so personally?

Joe_Limon - 2/4/2010 5:59:34 PM

+6 Boost

Assuming that what the article reports is true, I'd say that yes I do have proof. Do you have any proof that he is insane?

Joe_Limon - 2/5/2010 11:39:32 AM

0 Boost

vladyxa my assuming that what I am reading is true is still more proof then what you provided.

carguy68 - 2/4/2010 3:05:21 PM

+4 Boost

Put this on tv so that everybody can see the real toyota!!

no1listensanyway - 2/4/2010 3:36:05 PM

+7 Boost

This keeps getting better and better...

0to60 - 2/4/2010 4:21:21 PM

+2 Boost

How much you wanna bet that the Honda accord will take the throne for #1 best selling car in america?

dbtk - 2/4/2010 5:59:23 PM

0 Boost

You can't be that big for too long without some problems arising. To have such an untarnished record for so long is improbable. It was just a matter of time.

camrydriver - 2/4/2010 8:27:48 PM

+5 Boost

Not really. They didn't have an untarnished record first off and secondly, using weasel words to make it sound like they are not culpable is just weak. Toyota/lexus made decisions and there were consequences and they are responsible. Saying "oh its just a matter of time blah, blah, blah" is excusing them of their misdeads and that is wrong.

dbtk - 2/6/2010 3:18:14 AM

+1 Boost

It's not so much that you do not have an untarnished record...it is what is made public. So, I agree with you. In the immortal words of A. Lincoln: You can fools come of the people all the time. You can even fool all of the people some of the time. But you can not fool all the people all the time.

quizz - 2/4/2010 6:44:59 PM

+5 Boost

"the cost of doing business" Microsoft, Intel and IBM have all been caught for their business tactics at some point in their history. How many billions did MS pay 10 years ago? Intel just last year was hit with $billions in penalties for screwing AMD with their unfair business practices.

Toyota will survive. Look at Audi? They are incredibly successful now, despite that huge fiasco in the 80's.

How anybody can feel sorry for Toyota is beyond me. They are a business, they could care less about regular Joe.

enthusiastx11 - 2/4/2010 9:25:48 PM

+6 Boost

it's plainly apparent that toyota tried to buy off this former corporate attorney. he worked for toyota for only 3 years....and yet they paid him $3.9MM in severance. a ridiculous severance relative to his position.

truckman - 2/5/2010 4:51:22 AM

+4 Boost

If the car doesn't break down or kill you, you may have a mental break down, just like the lawer.

acronis - 2/5/2010 6:49:20 AM

+2 Boost

Toyota. How the worm has turned. The "hits" just keep on coming.

Toyota bedwetters your brand now = POS

Joe_Limon - 2/5/2010 10:11:39 AM

+1 Boost

stop whining and submit the articles