Auto accident attorneys and consumers have recently filed dozens of lawsuits against car giant, General Motors (GM). The culprit is faulty ignition switches, which allegedly shut off very easily and leave vehicles without power. Although GM has set up an Ignition Compensation Fund, car owners and accident victims are now turing to the Courts to seek retribution.
Most recently, a lawsuit was filed in Texas accusing GM of covering up the defects for the past thirteen years, against the recommendations of their own engineers. These engineers supposedly reported ignition shut-offs when drivers simply bumped it with their knees. These involuntary shut-offs have been linked to at least 56 deaths, and could be possible for 15 million vehicles on the road as we speak.
Some people may be wondering what exactly happens when the ignition switch is turned off unexpectedly. Unfortunately, the answer is much scarier than one would think. When the ignition switch is turned off, power is immediately lost to the vehicle, causing other functions such as power steering and airbag deployment to shut off. If going downhill at a high speed, it could become very difficult to control the vehicle without power steering. The loss of airbags, on the other hand, has proven to be catastrophic even with power steering. Auto Accident attorneys can help victims file and pursue claims in order to get the medical and psychological help they need.
Although the exact number of each vehicle has not been released from the Texas lawsuit, we know the following types of vehicles are involved:
- 1997-2012 Chevrolet Malibu
- 1998-2002 Oldsmobile Intrigue
- 1999-2004 Oldsmobile Alero
- 1999-2005 Pontiac Grand Am
- 2000-05 Cadillac Deville, Chevrolet Impala
- 2000-07 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
- 2002-04 Saturn Vue
- 2003-07 Saturn ION
- 2004-07 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
- 2004-08 Pontiac Grand Prix
- 2004-10 Pontiac G6
- 2004-11 Cadillac DTS
- 2005-09 Buick Allure and LaCrosse
- 2005-10 Chevrolet Cobalt
- 2006-07 Pontiac Pursuit
- 2006-10 Pontiac Solstice
- 2006-11 Buick Lucerne, Chevrolet HHR
- 2006-14 Chevrolet Impala
- 2007 Vauxhall GT
- 2007-09 Daewoo G2X
- 2007-10 Saturn Sky, Pontiac G5, Opel GT, Saturn Aura
- 2008-09 Pontiac G8
- 2008-13 Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia, Saturn Outlook
- 2009 Pontiac G3/Wave
- 2009-10 Chevrolet Aveo
- 2009-14 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana
- 2010-14 Chevrolet Camaro
- 2011-2012 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado HD, Silverado LD, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra LD, Sierra HD, Yukon, and Yukon XL
- 2011-13 Chevrolet Caprice
- 2013-14 Chevrolet Cruze Driver
- 2014 Chevrolet Corvette with Competition Sport Seats
- 2015 Cadillac Escalade
Issues from the above vehicles are allegedly as follows:
- Ignition Switch Torque Performance
- Front Passenger Airbags
- Side Impact Airbag Connector
- Electronic Power Steering
- Ignition Cylinders
- Passenger Airbags
- Key FOB Can Bump Ignition Switch
- Key Replacement From Slot-to-Hole Design
- Defective Airbags
- Unintended Ignition Key Rotation
- Reduced Brake Performance
- Ignition Key Pullout in Run Position
- Transmission Shift Cable Detachment
- Electronic Stability Control
- Ignition Bindin
The General Motors lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division – Paul Bermudez, et. al. v. General Motors, LLC.
Have you or a loved one suffered from a mechanical failure from one of the above vehicles? Even if your car make and model is not listed above, do you believe you are the victim of automobile malfunction? If so, contact the auto accident attorneys at Baizer Kolar P.C. now for help getting the compensation you deserve.