General Motors recently admitted it knew about defective ignition switches linked with 12 deaths and 31 accidents nationwide as early as 2001, according to many recent news reports, including an article in The New York Times. This revelation means that GM was aware of these safety defects three years earlier than the company originally admitted. Initially, GM claimed it first became aware of the problem in 2004 involving the Chevrolet Cobalt, which turned off if someone bumped the ignition switch.
Now, GM admits the company became aware of possible problems with ignition switches in the Saturn Ion in 2001 during the development stage, although GM insists it thought the company resolved the problem during the design stage, The New York Times reported. Many companies claim to make such improvements to defective products, but our Tennessee products liability attorneys at the Meade Law Group know that numerous people have been injured by dangerous products made by corporations that claimed to have done the right thing.
GM now plans to recall 1.6 million cars to address the ignition problem, according to the Times article. But such efforts will not bring back the 12 people who died in car accidents linked to problems with ignition switches, including four people who died in eight, front-impact car crashes in Saturn Ions in which air bags failed to deploy.
Vehicles Subject to GM Recall
GM’s recall includes the following vehicles, which all have similar defective ignition switches:
- 2005-2007 Chevrolet Cobalt
- 2007 Pontiac G5
- 2003-2007 Saturn Ion
- 2006-2007 Chevrolet HHR
- 2006-2007 Pontiac Solstice
- 2007 Saturn Sky
If you or a loved one was injured in a car accident in Tennessee or any other state involving one of these vehicles, contact us as soon as possible. A GM recall attorney can explain the legal options available to you and help you decide the best course of action.
Legal cases involving large corporations can be extremely complicated. Companies like GM routinely employ entire teams of lawyers to defend their best interests. That’s why it’s critical you contact us if you believe you have a legitimate case against GM. We can even help you file a GM defective ignition switch lawsuit if necessary.
Stories involving the defective GM ignition switches illustrate the seriousness of this problem. The New York Times printed several letters to safety regulators from Saturn Ion owners about the defective ignition switches. “After nearly being killed in the vehicle twice because the vehicle stalled on the freeway when I attempted to accelerate, I took the vehicle to the Saturn Dealership,” one driver wrote about a 2003 Ion. A 2006 Saturn Ion driver wrote a similar letter: “The car just basically shuts off as if the key was being turned. I am in fear of my safety as well as the safety of other drivers.”
Even more frightening is the fact that a driver died in July 2005 while driving a Chevrolet Cobalt. The airbag failed to deploy because of the ignition defect. How did GM respond? The company issued a service bulletin to car dealers in December 2005 but did not issue a recall. And it wasn’t until the summer of 2010 that GM finally stopped making the Chevrolet Cobalt.
Corporations have a responsibility to make safe, reliable products. When they fail to do so and people sustain serious or fatal injuries as a result of such products, those companies must be held accountable for their actions. Otherwise, similar accidents will continue to happen and more innocent people will get hurt or killed by such dangerous products.
If you or a loved one has sustained a serious or fatal injury due to a defective ignition switch or another product defect, contact Meade Law Group today. Call (423) 926-7112 and speak with an experienced Tennessee products liability lawyer right now.
