While hundreds of individuals have filed GM lawsuits over injuries and deaths allegedly caused by the GM ignition switch problems, Arizona is the first state to file a lawsuit against General Motors.

A 2014 GM recall over problems with GM ignition switch circuitry has brought vast legal scrutiny on the iconic American automakers.

Allegedly, the GM ignition switch defect could allow a car’s ignition circuitry to switch from the on position into a standby mode. In this standby mode, the engine powers down and the air bags deactivate.

Modern cars have onboard electronics, which can act as a sort of black box. Many of the GM ignition switch lawsuits allege that this onboard circuitry recorded that the cars entered standby mode while driving, causing fatal accidents and injuries. While GM ultimately recalled 27 million vehicles due to the defect, it allegedly took 10 years from the company’s first awareness of the problem before it took decisive action over the issue.

Arizona’s Attorney General Tom Horne filed the GM lawsuit, seeking $10,000 per car in the name of civil penalties. This could amount to billions of dollars in fines for GM.

The company is already facing hundreds of individual consumers in a GM class action lawsuit over alleged deaths and injuries stemming from the GM ignition switch recall issue, as well as a separate class action lawsuit that alleges the company’s actions have damage the resale value of the cars. The Arizona GM lawsuit also seeks to address this issue.

Forty-eight American states have undertaken investigations over the GM issue, as well as Federal law enforcement and regulatory agencies.

According to GM’s own internal investigation of the matter, key individuals were aware of the problem for almost a decade, but a “widespread culture of incompetence” prevented an adequate response.

Senate hearings and documents presented to federal investigators also strongly suggest that GM was aware of the problems long before taking action. Since most other states are investigating the matter, the Arizona GM lawsuit could be the first of a new wave of GM lawsuits from state governments.

The Arizona GM Lawsuit is State of Arizona v. General Motors LLC, Case No. cv-2014-014090, in the Superior Court of the State of Arizona, County of Maricopa.

The GM ignition switch MDL is In Re: General Motors LLC Ignition Switch Litigation, Case No. 1:14-mc-02543, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.