GM Issues New Auto Recall; Hundreds of Deaths Linked to Ignition Defect
If you have suffered injury or the tragic loss of one of your family members due to a flaw in one of the recently recalled GM autos, GM recall lawyers from Ellis Law are available to speak with you about filing a product liability lawsuit.
GM has recently added an additional 1.55 million recalled vehicles to the 1.6 million vehicles that they recalled in February in connection to faulty ignition switches that compromised the function of the cars’ airbags. It took over a decade for the company to initiate the first recall, an error that some analysts believe has led to hundreds of deaths and many more accidents.
GM’s CEO, Mary Barra, has recently issued an apology to those whose lives have been devastated by the company’s malfunctioning vehicles.
GM recall lawyers now representing clients over recalled vehicles
At Ellis Law, we believe that a GM air bag lawsuit may be the best course of action for those whose lives have been tragically altered by the malfunctions of the recalled vehicles. We have represented clients in product liability lawsuits for over 20 years and have an in-depth understanding of the complexities of auto recall lawsuits.
Recent GM recalls include the 2009-2014 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savanna vans, 2013-2014 Cadillac XTS sedans, and several SUVS, including the 2008-2013 Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia, the 2009-2013 Chevrolet Traverse, and the 2008-2010 Saturn Outlook SUV.
Recalls from February 13 and 15 include the 2003 to 2007 Saturn Ion, 2005 to 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt, 2006 to 2007 Chevy HHR, 2006 to 2007 Pontiac Solstice, 2007 Saturn Sky, and 2007 Pontiac G5 in the U.S.
These vehicles have ignition switches that shut down if bumped or pulled by a heavy keychain, deactivating the airbag. It has been alleged that GM knew about the potential problem since 2001; complaints about the ignition malfunction began rolling in starting in 2003, but no recall was issued until this year.
The NHTSA has initiated an investigation into the delay and the Justice Department opened an investigation into possible criminal mishandling of the issue on March 11.
Filing a GM air bag lawsuit
Already, the first GM air bag lawsuit has been filed: a class action lawsuit initiated in Texas. Many more lawsuits, including individual product liability lawsuits and wrongful death cases, are likely follow. Whereas GM linked only 12 deaths to the 2005-7 Cobalt and 2003-7 Saturn Ion (as well as four other models), an independent survey of federal crash date from 2003 to 2012 has found 303 deaths from air bags that did not deploy in the Cobalt and Ion alone.
Those who have lost family members in these circumstances may be eligible to file a wrongful death lawsuit, while others injured in crashes related to the recalled vehicles may be eligible to sue for compensation related to medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
If you believe that you may have grounds for a lawsuit, and have further questions about eligibility and compensation, contact one of Elis Law’s product recall attorneys at 310-641-3335 for a free consultation.