Furthermore, if Toyota admits fault and accepts this fine, it may open the litigation flood gates to hundreds of class action and personal injury lawsuits related to the stuck accelerator issue.
Mr Justice MacDuff said Mr Winter had no hope of defending the damages claims against 13 claimants but left it open for him to argue that Mr Wembridge was partly at fault.
But that decision hit a legal roadblock when State Supreme Court Justice Johnny Baynes on Thursday found fault with the initial vote, saying the university didn't abide by a law requiring open meetings to be held on the decision.