Toyota loses bid to curb experts in US court fight (rules for safeguarding its trade secrets)

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN2323004020100623

* Company seeks stringent order to protect trade secrets

* Plaintiffs lawyers say automaker's request goes too far

* Outside consultants seen as key to outcome of suits (Revises first sentence to include judge's ruling; adds details of hearing)

By Steve Gorman

SANTA ANA, Calif., June 23 (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp lost a key courtroom skirmish with product-liability lawyers on Wednesday over rules for safeguarding its trade secrets in litigation stemming from complaints about its cars racing out of control.

The judge presiding over the cases rejected Toyota's request to bar any confidential information it produces in pretrial proceedings from being disclosed to outside experts or consultants on the plaintiffs' legal team if those experts had worked for a rival car company in the past year.

Toyota (7203.T) sought the exclusion as part of a protective order the judge will issue sealing from the public record any proprietary information that may compromise Toyota's competitive position during the so-called discovery process.

Plaintiff's lawyers argued Toyota's request would have gone too far, hampering their ability to hire top-rate automobile industry engineers and other experts as they pursue scores of personal-injury and consumer class-action claims against the Japanese carmaker.

FULL story at link.

[TexasObserver]

1. More purposeful foot dragging by Toyota to impede discovery.

They've been playing this same wretched hand for years. They'll do or say anything to delay or avoid giving up clearly discoverable materials. They'll hide behind their trade secrets, as if that somehow prevents plaintiffs from learning the causes of Toyota's catastrophic failures.

Justice should criminally prosecute Toyota and its top brass. They've killed citizens with their scheme to prevent consumers and government overseers from finding out about their killing machines.