Posted on Thursday, August 18th, 2016 at 2:24 pm
The chief executive officer for Detroit-based automaker General Motors admitted to jurors at a Texas trial last Monday, August 15 that the company was not able to designate a flawed ignition switch as a safety issue. According to an article of Bloomberg Technology, the statements of Mary Barra come in relation to multiple deaths and injuries that arose due to a mechanical defect.
In a video deposition done last year and played at the trial last Monday, Barra said GM engineers “misdiagnosed it as a customer satisfaction issue and not a safety issue.” The switch is liable to shift into the off position unexpectedly, which can lead to the malfunction of features such as power steering, power brakes, and airbags.” A series of mistakes were made over a period of time that caused the ignition-switch defect,” Barra added. This deposition was not played during GM’s first two personal injury trials and GM won both lawsuits. The third lawsuit involves a 19-year-old from Houston, who was charged with manslaughter for allegedly causing a fatal car accident back in 2011. Stevens is claiming GM’s defective ignition switch caused the crash.
At McCutchen Napurano - The Law Firm, we are confident that our legal services will build the trust of our clients, allowing us to help with the complex and difficult aspects of their case. Should you get hurt in a personal injury accident caused by a negligent driver in Fort Smith, call our offices today at (479) 783-0036.
