A Florida man says a GM ignition switch problem caused a car accident that left him with severe injuries. That plaintiff has now filed a lawsuit to hold General Motors accountable for the injuries sustained.

Plaintiff Barry C. alleges he was driving a 2006 Saturn Ion on Dec. 18th, 2010, when he was involved in a serious motor vehicle accident on I-95 located in Broward County, Fla.

He alleges that the GM ignition switch problem ultimately caused the accident and says the defendant is responsible for wrongful and negligent conduct in the development, research, testing, production, manufacture, distribution, sale, marketing and promotion of the 2006 Saturn Ion.

According to the GM ignition switch problem lawsuit, Barry suffered severe injuries, particularly to his back and his neck, leading to significant medical expenses in the short term as well as over the future.

He alleges in the GM ignition switch problem lawsuit that he suffered pecuniary and personal damages directly as a result of the faulty ignition switch.

The GM ignition switch problem has been named in numerous different consumer complaints and lawsuits in recent years from people who suddenly experienced an accident and lost control of their car because of the defective part.

According to Barry, the GM ignition switch problem in this particular accident involved a failure of the airbags to deploy when the accident happened. In February 2014, more than 800,000 small vehicles were recalled as a result of the GM ignition switch problem.

The claims from consumers and investigation on the part of the company revealed that the GM ignition switch problem could shut off the engine while the car was operating and prevent the airbags from inflating. Over the course of the following months, many more vehicles were recalled, reaching a total of more than 30 million cars across the country.

More than 120 deaths were associated with the GM ignition switch problem, and paperwork revealed that GM may have known about the problem as long as one decade before the recall was ultimately declared. A deferred prosecution agreement with the United States government led to GM forfeiting $900 million in penalties.

The switch detent plunger is the primary issue in the GM ignition switch problem. It was designed to provide appropriate mechanical resistance to prevent accidental rotation.

However, this design was insufficient. Research shows that General Motors was aware of this problem and held meetings regarding how to fix it as early as 2005, but failed to warn the public.

The first widespread knowledge of the GM ignition switch problem came from an attorney in Georgia who sued General Motors on behalf of the family of a woman who died in a crash caused by the ignition switch. She took the depositions of several GM engineers and reviewed many pages of documents from GM to reveal the issue.

Anyone who has already been hurt in an accident because of this GM ignition switch problem may have grounds to pursue legal action to recover compensation for their injuries and damages.

The GM Ignition Switch Problem Lawsuit is Case No. 1:18-cv-01193-JMF in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.