MIAMI — Insurance companies are gearing up to recoup from Toyota money they paid for claims in crashes involving sudden acceleration, the subject of major safety recalls by the Japanese automaker. It could also mean money back for some drivers who paid deductibles.

At least six major insurers, including State Farm Insurance, Allstate and Geico, have begun examining past claims involving the recalled vehicles, which number about 6 million in the United States and 8 million around the world. Insurers can request Toyota pay them for the claim if a vehicle defect is proven to be a key factor in a crash, a long-standing industry practice known as subrogation.

Many insurers have begun notifying Toyota they will do just that.

The move could repay some Toyota owners their out-of-pocket costs because of crashes but probably wouldn't have much of an impact on the premiums drivers pay. And it would mostly involve crashes in which people weren't seriously injured, because those cases frequently find their way into lawsuits.

Insurance companies typically refund deductibles to their customers when they are repaid in such cases, officials of several companies said this week.