In the midst of the mass litigation movement against General Motors (GM), three new plaintiffs have filed a GM lawsuit against the company. Each of these plaintiffs have filed the GM lawsuit for the faulty ignition defect in their vehicles, which had been the subject of recall this year.

The ignition switch defect allegedly occurs when the key in the ignition slot flips to off, due to the weight of key chains or other obscuring masses. This causes the engine to shut down, causing the vehicle to suddenly stop and inadvertently shuts down the car’s airbags. Additionally, other major safety features of vehicles have been reported to be unresponsive due to this defect such as power steering and antilock brakes.

Thirteen deaths have been reported that were allegedly caused by this defect, and numerous injuries have been alleged. According to allegations in GM lawsuits, the automaker knew about the defect since 2001, but had failed to take proper recall provisions and had failed to warn the public. This has caused the company to garner mass criticism from legal experts and consumers alike. These plaintiffs allege these grievances in the following cases:

• Texas plaintiff Jackie Rollins owns a 2006 Saturn Ion, and is suing GM due to its ignition defect. Rollins reports experiencing several incidents regarding the car’s mechanics, and filed the GM lawsuit when she saw her car was subject to the recall. Rollins is suing GM for false advertising and concealing information, stating that if she had known about the defect, then she never would have purchased the vehicles.
• Arkansas plaintiff Earl Golston owns a 2007 Saturn Ion, and is suing GM due to the ignition defect. Golston reports experiencing several incidents that had been described in the recall’s list of problems, and filed the GM lawsuit when the recall was announced. Golston is suing GM for false advertising and concealing information, stating he never would have bought the vehicle if he had known about the defect.
• Arkansas plaintiff Mary Green owns a 2006 Chevrolet HHR, and is suing GM because of the ignition defect. It has not been indicated whether or not Green’s car suffered from the ignition defect, but she argues that this car may have endangered she and her family, as she bought it for household use. Green is suing GM for false advertising and concealing information, stating she never would have purchased the vehicle if she knew about the design flaw.

This GM Lawsuit is Jackie Rollins, Earl Golston, and Mary Greene v. General Motors LLC, et al., Case No. 2:14-cv-13051, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Southern Division.

Overview of GM Ignition Switch Defect

According to GM ignition switch class action lawsuits and GM records, the Saturn Ion was the first car that had been reported to have the ignition defect. GM started receiving complaints of unexpected stalling, but it did not deter the company from installing the same ignition port in other GM models, including the Chevrolet HHR. Legal experts heavily criticize the action, accusing GM of ignoring the problem or classifying it as a minor technical difficulty, but not a safety issue.

In response to the criticism, GM reasoned that drivers could still maneuver their vehicles to the side of the road if the vehicle stalled. The company said this, despite that the fact that the ignition switch effectively disabled the power-assisted steering and airbags.

While GM has reportedly taken recovery measures, multiple recalls have been conducted in the past year of their vehicles for various safety design flaws, including undeployable airbags. Representatives for the company express that this in not the GM standard, and that their manufacturing process will be revised to insure no future defects.

Regardless of what measures GM takes, many families feel that the company lost its chance of redemption, as allegations of wrongful deaths continue to pour in.