CEO Mary Barra of GM Will Be Deposed in Court for Faulty Ignition Switch Fatalities
A newly formed multidistrict litigation (MDL) against General Motors will go to court this fall, and attorneys for the plaintiffs have announced that GM CEO Mary Barra will be deposed, along with other former GM workers involved in the faulty ignition switch delayed recall.
Ms. Barra will testify under oath on October 8th as part of the MDL, which has plaintiffs who not only suffered personal injury after an accident caused by the faulty ignition switches, but many plaintiffs who had loved ones die in such accidents. According to the latest statistics, 2.59 million vehicles featuring the faulty ignition switches, with model numbers dating back to 2004 in many cases, have been recalled. GM believes at least 67 people have died as a result of the delayed vehicle recall.
Other GM employees, including 15 former attorneys and executives who were fired after their negligence involving the faulty ignition switches was revealed, will also be deposed.
“This will be the first time GM employees will be made to answer difficult questions under oath about the specific details of the documents and their role in these deaths and injuries,” a plaintiffs’ attorney said in a statement.
GM has already suffered several consequences related to the delayed vehicle recall and defective ignition switches, including paying $35 million to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which is currently the highest fine the safety agency can require. The automotive manufacturer also created a compensation fund for victims of the defective ignition switches which they hoped would prevent further litigation, but the company will still go to court anyway. Shareholders have filed lawsuits against the company for lost revenue, and the federal government is still investigating criminal and federal fraud charges against GM, as are some Canadian officials.
General Motors also recently settled a wrongful death lawsuit with the Melton family, who refiled their case after settling in 2012 because of new evidence starting with GM’s quiet February 2014 vehicle recall. The family won their case, which accused GM of failure to warn and negligence, which caused their daughter’s death on her 20th birthday.
The MDL will collect depositions over the fall and winter months, then the first bellwether ignition switch lawsuit will go to trial in January 2016.
The GM vehicle recall applies to over 2 million vehicles for defective ignition switches and lock cylinders to include the following:
- 2003-2007 Saturn Ion
- 2005-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt
- 2006-2010 Pontiac Soltice
- 2007-2010 Pontiac G5
- 2007-2010 Saturn Sky
- 2006-2011 Chevrolet HHR
GM set up a defective ignition switch vehicle recall website for consumers to learn more. If you have been a victim of a car accident due to the faulty ignition switches, you should also contact a defective products personal injury attorney for more information.
The Strom Law Firm Helps Victims of GM’s Defective Ignition Switches
If you or a loved one owned a GM vehicle listed in the recall, or from model years 2004 or later, and were involved in an accident in which the motor suddenly shut off or you lost control of the vehicle for no discernable reason, you may be eligible to join the GM ignition switch multidistrict litigation. Contact the South Carolina personal injury and wrongful death attorneys at the Strom Law Firm for a free case evaluation. You do not have to suffer alone: contact us for help. 803.252.4800
