Posted: June 20, 2014
More than 80 plaintiffs have filed a GM ignition switch recall lawsuit against General Motors. Most of the civil lawsuits seek recovery for economic damages, including repair costs and decreased resale value on approximately 2.6 million vehicles since February. Average depreciation claims could total $500 to $1,000 per vehicle.
Federal judges recently transferred the economic-loss cases filed across the county to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Federal Judge, Jesse Furman will preside over the pretrial litigation and disclosure of evidence.
Additionally, GM faces lawsuits from plaintiffs claiming the defective ignition switches were to blame for accidents causing serious injuries and even death. Currently, only a number of cases have been filed, but hundreds more are expected.
Currently, GM has linked 54 crashes and 13 deaths to air bag failures related to the switch, but there’s a chance that number could rise.
New Jersey product liability lawyers at Eisbrouch & Marsh are offering free legal consultations to anyone affected by the GM recall. If you or a loved one has been hurt or killed as a result of the defective GM ignition switch, you may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, funeral expenses, and pain and suffering.
GM recalls ignition switch
Attorney Generals in Florida, Connecticut and at least six additional states are investigating GM’s delayed decision to recall nearly 2.6 million cars due to defects with the ignition switch.
The recall was issued due to a defect which can cut power to a vehicle’s steering and brakes, preventing air bags from deploying on impact. GM executives were aware of this defect for at least a decade prior to the recall.
So far, the company has fired 15 people this month who supposedly had a role in the delayed recall. These firings were announced immediately following the release of an internal investigation. An additional five people were disciplined. However, none of these issues were found to be tied to top company executives.
Instead of discovering an elaborate cover-up by GM employees, the investigation revealed a flawed corporate culture where employees failed to take accountability for the ignition-switch failure or treat the issue as an urgent matter. Investigators failed to accurately detect the issue and vital information that could have helped to solve the issue was not disclosed.
The internal investigation revealed that GM experienced issues with the faulty ignition-switch from the beginning. While it never met GM specifications, an engineer approved it for use. This decision helped to further complicate the issue down the road.
Initially, the electrical system of the ignition-switch had to be redesigned because it was too balky. After that, it was found to not have enough torque, making it easy to accidentally turn off ─ sometimes when the driver’s knee hit the steering wheel or due to a heavy key ring.
The ignition-switch garnered complaints from the start. According to the internal investigation report, a lead GM engineer once referred to it as “the switch from hell,” in a memo to parts supplier Delphi.
GM ignition switch recall lawsuit
If you have suffered damages or losses due to the GM defective ignition switch, you may be entitled to compensation. Make negligent manufacturers pay for putting profits over public safety. To schedule a consultation with New Jersey and New York product liability lawyers with 25 years of experience helping recall victims seek the compensation they deserve, call Eisbrouch & Marsh at 201-342-5545 today.
Resources
- Bloomberg, GM Defect Recall Delay Probed by Connecticut and Florida, http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-06-11/gm-ignition-defect-recall-delay-investigated-by-indiana.html
- Fox News, Attorneys Prepare Lawsuits Against GM Over Handling of Ignition Switch Recall, http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2014/06/09/attorneys-prepare-lawsuits-against-gm-over-handling-ignition-switch-recall/
- Washington Post, GM CEO: 15 Fired Over Ignition Switch Recalls; Probe Shows Pattern of Failures, No Coverup, http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/gm-ceo-15-fired-over-ignition-switch-recalls-probe-shows-pattern-of-failures-no-coverup/2014/06/05/2dc575bc-ecb8-11e3-9f5c-9075d5508f0a_story.html
