An Illinois widow has filed a lawsuit against General Motors, alleging that serious Chevy Impala power steering problems resulted in her husband’s untimely death.

The plaintiff, Michelle R., filed this lawsuit on behalf of her late husband Billy R. as the independent administrator of his estate.

Before his death, Billy drove a 2011 Chevrolet Impala. According to the lawsuit, on March 13, 2015, Billy was driving in this vehicle along a highway in Illinois when it began experiencing a malfunction of its power steering system. The lawsuit alleges that these Chevy Impala power steering problems were significant, and forced the vehicle off the road, continuing to travel for a while until the whole thing ended with Billy crashing into several trees. Billy’s driver side airbag failed to function properly, the lawsuit claims, and he was subsequently killed in the crash.

There were two defects involved in this crash, according to the lawsuit. The first is the Chevy Impala power steering problems that caused the engine to shut off, which disabled the power steering and power braking features. The second is the defective driver side air bag failing to effectively deploy.

According to this lawsuit, Billy’s untimely death was a direct result of these Chevy Impala power steering problems and airbag issues. The lawsuit further claims that General Motors was aware of these defects, yet failed to adequately warn consumers of the risks.

The lawsuit was filed on multiple counts, including wrongful death and negligence, as well as funeral expenses. Billy left behind his wife and daughter.

Chevy Impala Power Steering Problems

These Chevy Impala power steering problems that led to Billy’s fatal crash are not the first of their kind. Indeed, many owners of GM vehicles have noted significant defects to some of their car’s functions, and GM has issued several recalls for a list of vehicles as a result.

The Chevy Impala power steering problems are part of the larger GM power steering issue that causes the power steering in multiple GM vehicles to suddenly fail during use. This problem has been the cause of a recall of over 1.3 million vehicles.

Another GM recall came after an ignition switch defect that causes engines to turn off when the ignition switch turns from the on to off position. According to customers, this is a dangerous defect, since it can be triggered simply by bumping the keys when they are in the ignition. GM lawsuits allege that over 100 car accident deaths have been caused by this ignition switch defect. Lawsuits also allege that GM knew about the ignition switch defect since 2001, but did not recall the vehicles until 2014.

The GM airbag recall applies to two airbag defects. The first is a problem with a side-impact airbag, which prevents these airbags from deploying due to a wiring harness problem. This was one of the two issues noted in Michelle’s lawsuit. The second airbag problem is with the frontal airbag software, which may prevent the front airbags from deploying in a crash.

Filing a Lawsuit Over Power Steering Problems and Other Defects

You may qualify to file a GM recall lawsuit if you own a GM vehicle, such as a Chevy Impala, that has been in a car accident because of the ignition switch engine shut-off defect, one of the two airbag non-deployment defects, or the power steering failure defect.

Of course, filing a lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering caused by injuries from a car accident, and it cannot bring a loved one back to life. However, a lawsuit can help to at least alleviate the financial burden caused by medical expenses, property damage, and lost wages.

The Chevy Impala Power Steering Problems Lawsuit is Case No. 1:17-cv-01320-MMM-JEH, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois.