Judge may scrap most Toyota lawsuits from New York, Florida

SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — A federal judge in California has tentatively decided to dismiss most New Yorkers' and Floridians' claims in class-action litigation over the unintended acceleration of Toyota vehicles.

According to City News Service, U.S. District Judge James Selna said Monday that plaintiffs in the two states cannot claim that Toyota owes them for lost value if their vehicles didn't have the acceleration problem.

It isn't clear when the judge would finalize the ruling, but if he does, it would be a major victory for Toyota Motor Corp. The automaker moved to dismiss the lawsuits, saying New York and Florida law is clear that those who haven't experienced unintended acceleration have no legal standing.

The judge has already ruled that the out-of-state plaintiffs cannot sue under California law.