GM Asks for Broader Protection from Pre-Bankruptcy Claims

General Motors Co. has asked federal bankruptcy Judge Robert Gerber to affirm before Aug. 11 that the company is not responsible for the mistakes of "old" GM, Bloomberg News reports.

GM is facing more than 100 lawsuits from customers who want compensation for the drop in value of their vehicles after the company recalled them. GM argues that Gerber's ruling in the company's 2009 bankruptcy specifically shields it from such claims.

GM has vowed to compensate direct victims of the 2.6 million faulty ignition switches recalled in February. But it is equally adamant that it won't pay to offset shrinking resale values to other owners of those vehicles. It also seeks immunity from similar economic claims of loss stemming from recalls to fix non-ignition flaws in vehicles made before its 2009 bankruptcy.

Most of the economic ignition-switch lawsuits have been transferred to U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman. GM suggests that he await Gerber's ruling on the company's liability before moving forward with those claims, which could be combined into a class-action lawsuit.