Calif hearing set for Toyota lawsuits

SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) - A federal judge in Orange County could set the framework for the lawsuits facing Toyota Motor Corp. related to its sudden acceleration problems.

A hearing will be held Thursday where U.S. District Judge James Selna may decide who the lead plaintiffs' attorneys will be as well as what information must be turned over by Toyota.

It will be the first hearing since a judicial panel consolidated the federal cases last month and chose Selna to preside over them.

More than 320 lawsuits have been filed in federal and state court against the Japanese automaker. Some suits are claiming economic loss after Toyota recalled millions of vehicles, while others allege injury and death due to sudden acceleration.