New York Auto Product Defect Lawyers
GM's dangerous ignition switch causes the car to suddenly turn off while driving. The car suddenly loses power due to a defect in the ignition system. The driver loses control and crashes. Worse, the airbags do not work. Serious injury or death has resulted from these catastrophes.
Contact us today at (888) 260-0473. Our New York product liability attorneys have experience in litigating and settling claims against car and truck manufacturers.
A Problem GM Secretly Corrected With No Warning to the Public
General Motors is currently facing litigation for a defect in certain vehicles' ignition switch making it prone to fail during ordinary and foreseeable driving situations. Due to engineering design flaws which could be easily corrected, only a small amount of pressure on the key could cause the vehicle to turn off. GM worked quietly with the parts supplier, Delphi Automotive, to modify the design without ever making that public information.
The faulty ignition switch has a defective plunger component which has too little torque. Combined with an unreasonable location of the ignition switch, the ignition can accidentally be turned off when traveling across a bumpy road or a driver inadvertently touches the ignition key. There have even been reports of the ignition switching to off from something as small as a heavy key chain. With the loss of engine power, the vehicle will lose power steering, power brakes, and certain safety features such as airbag deployment.
Auto Manufacturers Must Take responsibility
GM has recklessly endangered people's lives by allowing this faulty ignition switch to be installed on vehicles sold to the public. The harm cannot be undone, but the victims can receive substantial help dealing with the aftermath by pursuing legal action. The more pressure vehicle manufactures are placed under for their mistakes, the more thorough testing they will perform in the future to avoid these tragedies.
