A former attorney for Toyota contends in a lawsuit the Japanese automaker concealed information from injury victims suing it for damages.

Dimitrios Biller of Pacific Palisades, Calif., the former managing counsel for Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc., alleges in a lawsuit the company went to great lengths to keep injury victims and their attorneys from seeing company documents that proved their cars' roofs were substandard, as alleged by plaintiffs, the Los Angeles Times reported Monday.

Biller says in court documents the company destroyed data collected from more than 300 accidents and illegally withheld incriminating information from plaintiffs' attorneys in injury suits and from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Observers told the Times Biller's suit has the potential to reopen legal settlements made with accident victims and could prove to be very costly to Toyota.

The company issued a statement to the newspaper denying Biller's allegations, saying they are "inaccurate and misleading." In court documents, the company characterized him a disgruntled employee looking to retaliate for having to resign from his job.