Whoever gets the wreckage would also keep it available for use by the parties in lawsuits.

Autoblog also uncovered that Gilbert was being paid by parties in lawsuits against Toyota.

Apple's litigation generally involves intellectual property disputes, but the company has also been a party in lawsuits that include antitrust claims, consumer actions, commercial unfair trade practice suits, defamation claims, and corporate espionage, among other matters.

Dr. David Gilbert, Professor of Automotive Technology, was alleged to have rigged a claim of unintended acceleration of the Toyota Prius in a 2010 ABC News report, and was being paid by parties in lawsuits against Toyota.