In re Toyota Motor Corp. Unintended Acceleration Marketing, Sales Practices, & Products Liability Litigation

ORDER DENYING MOTION TO COMPEL ARBITRATION

Table of Contents

I. Introduction and Procedural Background ...................................971

II. The Federal Arbitration Act 973

*971 III. Waiver of the Right to Arbitrate............................................974

A. Who Decides the Issue of Waiver?........................................974

B. Standard for Finding Waiver of the Right to Arbitrate.......................975

C. Application of Standard for Finding Waiver..............................976

1. Knowledge of an Existing Right to Compel Arbitration.................976

a. California Plaintiffs...........................................976

b. Non-California Plaintiffs ......................................978

2. Acts Inconsistent with the Right to Compel Arbitration ................978

3. Resulting Prejudice to the Party Opposing Arbitration.................979

D. Riding Regarding Waiver...............................................980

IV. Right of Third Party to Enforce Agreements to Arbitrate ......................980

A. Equitable Estoppel Permits Non-Signatories to Enforce Agreements to…