A former Toyota Motor Sales lawyer has filed a California lawsuit against the auto manufacturer alleging that it illegally withheld information from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and concealed evidence from opposing product liability lawyers who were defending injured and wrongful death victims of sport utility vehicle, or SUV rollover lawsuits. He says that Toyota destroyed data in more than 300 accidents which proved that Toyota's vehicle roofs were substandard – which may result in those cases being re-opened.

“This is the stuff of Hollywood movies!”

That was the comment from Dimitrios Biller's attorney. According to news reports, Biller worked as a defense attorney for Toyota Motor Sales USA, Inc. from 2003 to 2007. During that time, he says that the company not only repeatedly forced him to illegally withhold information from the NHTSA and conceal evidence from opposing counsel, but also forced him to resign in 2007. In his complaint, he alleges that Toyota went through a "relentless effort to prevent evidence of its vehicles' structural shortcomings from being known.”

Why the sudden change of heart?

If you're wondering why Biller had a change of heart and decided to file a lawsuit against Toyota – especially after receiving a $3.7 million severance package in exchange for keeping his silence – we have one word for you. Conscience. It seems as though Biller has been in therapy ever since accepting the hefty, and heavily conditioned, severance package and finally decided to expose Toyota's actions regardless of the consequences to himself.

Although Toyota denies the allegations, this lawsuit could cause previously decided roof crush lawsuits to be re-opened. A court recently denied Toyota's request to keep information about Biller's lawsuit concealed from consumers because it contains “confidential information.”

SUV Manufacturers' Responsibilities in Making Vehicles Safe

SUVs have a long history of rolling over and causing severe injury and death. Auto manufacturers have certain responsibilities to make sure that their vehicles are safe for consumer use – particularly to prevent SUV roll overs and to make sure that vehicles are crash worthy. Unfortunately, SUV rollover attorneys say that manufacturers are often negligent in doing so. In fact, statistics show that SUV rollover accidents account for nearly 33 percent of all passenger vehicle fatalities and that over 10,000 people are killed in an SUV rollover accident every year.