A woman has filed suit against General Motors after her Impala ignition switch allegedly failed, preventing her airbag from deploying in an accident.

Plaintiff Janet S. says she was driving a 2002 Chevrolet Impala on Oct. 2, 2015 when she was in an accident. She alleges she received severe facial trauma and lacerations due to the vehicle’s defects.

GM allegedly knew for years that the keys in certain vehicles could turn from the “run” position to the “accessory/off” position while the vehicle is running and in motion. When the key turns to the off position, the engine and power steering shut down, airbags and other restraints deactivate, and the ability to brake or control the vehicle is greatly diminished. These factors often lead to a loss of control and a collision.

According to the Impala ignition switch lawsuit, GM knew as far back as 2001 that the engines in certain cars were stalling due to defects in the key system.

Still, GM did not fix the defects.

In 2004, GM’s engineers found that a driver could easily bump a knee into a key that would result in the engine turning off because the not only was the ignition switch a weak connection, but also because the switch was located too low on the steering column.

Impala Ignition Switch Lawsuit Alleges Negligence

GM allegedly knew the ignition switches were defective and could not withstand ordinary movement and pressure.

The Impala ignition switch lawsuit alleges GM knew for years that the low placement of the ignition on the steering cylinder combined with inadequate torque performance within the switch could lead to the sudden and unintended disabling of the engine. The airbags would be disabled at that time, as well.

When Janet’s Impala ignition switch allegedly failed, she was involved in a frontal crash, and the airbags did not deploy. She claims GM did not warn her that the vehicle was unsafe or that the Impala ignition switch was defectively designed and manufactured.

Instead, she claims, GM allegedly “continued to misrepresent and fraudulently conceal the defects” in the Impala and other affected vehicles.

The car company allegedly “was negligent and failed to exercise ordinary care” when it designed and manufactured the keys in GM vehicles that could turn from the “run” to the “off” position while the vehicle was running.

Janet argues it was negligent of GM to place the ignition low enough on the steering column that a driver could accidentally bump the key fob, engaging the key to turn to the “off” position. In addition, the design of the key system is allegedly defective because inadequate torque is applied when the key is in the “on” position to keep the key from easily turning to the “off” position.

The Impala ignition switch lawsuit contends that because of these failures, Janet lost control of the vehicle and the airbag failed to deploy “during a reasonably foreseeable accident,” resulting in her suffering significant and lasting injuries.

The Impala Ignition Switch Lawsuit is Case No. 1:18-cv-1389 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.