General Motors has been experiencing over a decade of debacle as a result of millions of its vehicles being manufactured with faulty ignition switches. The failure of these ignition switches has led to hundreds of injuries and fatalities.
In approximately 2005, and perhaps even earlier, GM had discovered that several different models of GM vehicles were being produced with faulty ignition switches. When these ignition switches would malfunction, the vehicle engine would be shut off, often times in the middle of driving the vehicle. When this malfunction occurs, it renders the power steering, power brakes, and airbags in the vehicle completely useless.
Despite the discovery of the malfunction of the faulty ignition switches, GM failed to inform the public of the defect. Not only did GM fail to inform the public of this hazard, GM also continued manufacturing the vehicles with the faulty ignition switches.
A public recall of the affected vehicles was finally made almost ten years later in 2014! By the time of the recall, many lives were already lost, many people were already injured, many families were tragically impacted.
Since the public discovery of the faulty ignition switches, GM has had countless lawsuits brought against the company for its failure. It seems that GM is making efforts to ensure that these lawsuits are settled before they go to trial. Most recently, in the state of California, GM was just about to go to trial in the California state court with a plaintiff who lost a family member in a fatal crash in 2012 in a GM vehicle with a faulty ignition switch.
Due to the delay to inform the public of the hazards of the vehicles, people involved in crashes should examine the details of the accident to determine if it was the result of a faulty ignition switch. Millions of vehicles with the defect were on the road for over ten years, while people had no idea why or how their vehicles were failing and leading to car crashes.
If you or someone you know was involved in a car accident with a GM vehicle, you may have a case against GM. The attorneys at the Alexander Law Group, LLP can help, contact the attorneys at Alexander Law Group, LLP at 888.777.1776 for a free case consultation.
