The GM faulty ignition switch issue is well known. In the year 2014, when the news broke that a large number of GM cars had been equipped with a faulty switch that caused the cars to stall and crash, GM had to recall more than 2.6 million cars in the U.S alone. In these cars, the ignition switch would come out of place suddenly, causing the engine to stall immediately.
When this happened, the driver lost power steering and brakes. Consequently, the car would not turn or stop properly, often leading to a crash. The worst thing was if the driver had a frontal crash, the airbags would not deploy, causing grievous injuries to the occupants in the front seat.
Since GM publicly accepted the faulty ignition switch problem, at least 124 deaths have been officially attributed to crashes caused by them. What kind of injuries have these peoples suffered? It’s rather distressing, but here are some more details.
Whiplash
Whiplash is one of the most common types of injuries seen in car crashes. In whiplash, the neck and head continue to move forward even as the body is restrained by the seat belt. The sudden jerk continues until the head encounters some resistance, usually in the form of the chin hitting the chest. This strains the muscles and ligaments of the neck, the shoulders, and the base of the head. The most common signs that you’ve suffered from a whiplash are severe back, shoulder and neck pain, numbness, weakness, stiffness, dizziness and headache.
Blunt trauma
Even if you are wearing a seat belt and the air bags have deployed (which probably won’t if you are in a GM car with a faulty ignition switch), you might still suffer from various blunt trauma injuries. Most of these injuries are caused by the seatbelts or airbags themselves (internal injuries to the abdomen and chest). Chest trauma can damage your lungs, break some of your ribs and even injure your shoulder joints. Blunt trauma to your abdomen can increase the risk of injury to your internal organs, leading to internal bleeding.
Head injuries
The sudden impact of a frontal crash may push the driver’s head forward causing it to hit the steering wheel, leading to a type of head injury called traumatic brain injury. It may be a mild concussion, causing blurred vision, dizziness, nausea and headaches. A more severe concussion can lead to seizures or cause the driver to slip into a coma and, in worst cases, even death. In any case, if one suffers a head injury after getting into a car accident, it is best that the person seek medical attention immediately.
Spinal cord injuries
A spinal cord injury is one of the worst injuries someone can suffer in a car crash because of the long term repercussions. Spinal injuries can lead to a damaged spinal cord, cracked vertebra or herniated disks. Depending on how badly the spinal cord has been damaged, paralysis is a possibility, as is severe nerve damage. Paralysis may affect the legs only, or the torso and all four limbs.
With all these possible serious injuries, it is clear a car crash should not to be taken lightly. Unfortunately for the people who suffered because of faulty ignition switches on GM cars, it is already too late.
If you or a loved one were affected by a faulty GM switch, contact us at the Alexander Law Group, LLP or call 888.777.1776. We believe that holding people and companies responsible for their actions is the right thing to do, and we won’t back down.
