Oct 25, 2013 02:37 PM EDT
Jury Orders Toyota to Pay $3 Million to Settle Unintended Acceleration Case

Toyota has reached a deal to resolve a lawsuit in the United States over "unintended acceleration issues," the same week a jury determined the company was liable and demanded it pay $3 million for defects that caused a 2007 fatal crash, according to Reuters.

A jury in Oklahoma ordered the automaker to pay $3 million in compensatory damages to Jean Bookout, a driver who was injured during a 2007 crash, and to the family of Barbara Schwarz, who was killed during the crash.

Jurors have resumed deliberation today, Oct. 25, on whether to award punitive damages against Toyota.

Before the jury could decide on a decision, Toyota and lawyers for the plaintiffs said they had reached a confidential settlement on punitive damages to end the case, according to Reuters.

The lawsuit says that software defects in the electronic throttle control system of Bookout's Camry caused it to crash, thus killing Schwarz.

"While we strongly disagree with the verdict, we are satisfied that the parties reached a mutually acceptable agreement to settle this case," Toyota spokeswoman Carly Schaffner said in a statement.

The case is the first loss for Toyota in a number of trials over acceleration complaints, which led to hundreds of lawsuits across the U.S.

The 2005 Camry involved in the crash was not included in a large recall back issued by the company in 2009.

"We are fully convinced that Toyota's conduct from the time the electronic throttle control system was designed has been shameful," said J. Cole Portis, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, according to Reuters. ""We appreciate that the jury had the courage to let Toyota and the public know that Toyota was reckless."

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