Most of us seldom question whether or not the items we buy regularly are risk-free. Unfortunately, many consumer goods are incorrectly designed, manufactured, or marketed. These blunders might result in serious harm or […]
Congress recently held a meeting with GM boss Mary Barra and other individuals regarding a fatal flaw in GM vehicles that took 10 years to be remedied. Even then, by the time GM acknowledged that their cars indeed had flaws, the damage had already been done: 13 people have died as a result of a GM oversight which led to a manufacturing defect tied to the vehicle’s ignition system.
This particular defect leads to the ignition moving out of the ‘run’ position while the vehicle is on the road. This may cause the driver lose control of the steering wheel and brakes. At the same time, this defect may also prevent airbags from deploying in the event of a crash.
U.S. safety regulators are intimating that more than 13 people may have died due to this defect; the number, according to the National Highway Safety Administration, is closer to 303. Current GM car owners and loved ones of those who died in automobile accidents caused by these defects continue to press for answers, justice, regulation enforcement and compensation.
Congress is chiming in on behalf of the victims as well. Diana DeGette was part of the hearing that converged to discuss this issue. At one point, she held up one of the car’s ignition switches, indicating that a small spring within the mechanism was not able to provide adequate force to stop car engines from shutting down.
She went on to state that GM’s claim that fixing this error would amount to an unacceptable price increase was ridiculous given the fact that it would’ve cost them a paltry 57 cents per switch. Additionally, she said that GM had made a series of bad decisions, and that those decisions revealed a series of flaws within federal law which needed to be fixed to prevent a reoccurrence of the same or similar problem.
This issue led to the company recalling 2.6 million cars. In an attempt to fix any wrongs, the company has asked current GM car owners to ask their car dealers for loaner cars while they wait for replacement parts for their ignition switches.
Recall Information Provided by GM: GM.com
These kinds of flaws aren't common. Given stringent quality checks run by most car manufacturers, defects like these should never have been missed—and especially not overlooked or ignored. However, GM's defective vehicles are a reality for many people. If you or someone you know suffered an injury due to a defective GM car or truck, please contact Rasansky Law Firm for expert legal help. Call us today at (214) 651-6100 for your free consultation. We look forward to helping you seek appropriate justice and compensation.
Note: The information that was utilized in this post was gathered from the use of secondary sources. This information used has not been confirmed or independently verified. If you locate any information that is not correct, please contact our firm as soon as possible so that we can make the appropriate corrections. If you find any information that is false, we will remove or correct the post immediately after it is brought to our attention.
Disclaimer: As a valued member of the Dallas community, Rasansky Law Firm’s goal is to improve the safety of all residents in the great state of Texas. These posts should not be viewed as a solicitation for business and the information included herein should not be taken as medical or legal advice. The photos used in this post are not representative of the actual crash scene.
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