On Feb. 8, the U.S. Department of Transportation released results of a 10-month study on the suspected cause of Sudden Unintended Acceleration that affected thousands of Toyota vehicles and prompted the recall of more than 8 million various makes and models beginning in late 2009. But lawyers and safety groups investigating claims of accidents, injuries and deaths caused by SUA say the study is incomplete and in no way exonerates Toyota or involvement of its electronic throttle system. The NASA study will not stand up when more exhaustive research is finalized, according to a number of safety groups.

Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C. has been selected for inclusion in the 2010 Best Law Firms ranking. This is the inaugural publication of this highly anticipated national analysis, which will be compiled annually by U.S. News Media Group and Best Lawyers. Beasley Allen was given a Metropolitan First-Tier ranking in the areas of Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs, and Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs. Beasley Allen also received a Metropolitan Tier 2 ranking for Health Care Law in Montgomery. Rankings will be featured in the October print issue of U.S. News & World Report.

MONTGOMERY, ALA. (August 23, 2010)  - Thirteen Beasley Allen attorneys were selected for inclusion in the 2011 edition of Best Lawyers®.  Best Lawyers is the oldest and most respected peer-review publication in the legal profession.

United States District Judge James V. Selna today appointed W. Daniel "Dee" Miles, III, head of the Consumer Fraud section for Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis and Miles, P.C., to the Liaison Committee for personal injury/wrongful death cases in litigation against Toyota. April 9, 2010, the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multi-District Litigation selected the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California to hear litigation surrounding Toyota sudden unintended acceleration (SUA). Lawsuits include both individual personal injury claims and consumer class actions filed on behalf of Toyota owners who claim the value of their vehicles has been negatively affected by Toyota's SUA problems.

Toyota Motor Corp.'s legal problems aren't limited to the federal multidistrict litigation over unintended acceleration of its vehicles. Scores of lawsuits are working their way through state courts across the nation, and some of those cases could pave the road for the MDL.

The first hearing in the MDL won't take place until later this month, but some lawyers with cases pending in various state courts already have begun deposing Toyota executives.

Toyota has routinely engaged in questionable, evasive and deceptive legal tactics when sued, frequently claiming it does not have information it is required to turn over and sometimes even ignoring court orders to produce key documents, an Associated Press investigation shows.

In a review of lawsuits filed around the country involving a wide range of complaints — not just the sudden acceleration problems that have led to millions of Toyotas being recalled — the automaker has hidden the existence of tests that would be harmful to its legal position and claimed key material was difficult to get at its headquarters in Japan. It has withheld potentially damaging documents and refused to release data stored electronically in its vehicles.

An Associated Press investigation has uncovered numerous examples that Toyota has relied on highly evasive, deceptive, and unethical legal tactics when defending itself against a spectrum of claims in court. The AP investigation involved an examination of lawsuits filed against Toyota throughout in the country in the past decade.

MONTGOMERY, ALA. (April 6, 2010)  - Yesterday the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) finally decided to get tough with automaker Toyota for safety problems involving almost all of the carmaker's models. The problem is Sudden Unintended Acceleration (SUA), in which vehicles race out of control despite drivers' attempts to stop them. NHTSA levied a record-setting $16.4 million fine against Toyota regarding its sticky accelerator pedal recall, saying the company did not notify the NHTSA in a timely way about the problem. Toyota has two weeks to accept or contest the penalty.

Beasley Allen attorney Graham Esdale has been actively investigating claims of sudden unintended acceleration (SUA) involving Toyota vehicles on behalf of clients for more than two years. He has long alleged the auto manufacturer's problems with SUA are linked to vehicle electrical systems, not to floor mats or sticky accelerator pedals as Toyota has claimed. Beasley Allen helped to sponsor an independent study by Safety Research & Strategies, Inc., released Feb. 5, 2010, which provides evidence linking SUA problems to the vehicles' electrical system.