Mexican Media Brands
GM Says Plaintiff in Ignition Switch Lawsuit “Fabricated” Evidence
General Motors Co. has asked a county court judge in Texas to either dismiss a complaint about the company’s defective ignition switches or tell the jury the plaintiff and his lawyer misrepresented the key involved in a fatal crash.
#legal
Share
General Motors Co. has asked a county court judge in Texas to either dismiss a complaint about the company’s defective ignition switches or tell the jury the plaintiff and his lawyer misrepresented the key involved in a fatal crash.
Plaintiff Zachary Stevens claims a heavily laden keychain caused the ignition switch to jiggle out of the “run” position, thereby cutting off the engine, power steering and power brakes on his 2007 Saturn Sky sport coupe. GM contends Stevens was driving too fast and recklessly attempted to pass a car on the shoulder of the road before crashing into it.
The company says Stevens originally said he had only a few items on a keychain attached to the ignition key, Reuters reports. But the keychain his lawyer depicted to jurors as the one involved in the crash was attached to three rings of items, including a souvenir Eiffel Tower and a gym membership card.
GM launched a recall in 2014 to replace 2.6 million of the defective switches. It advised customers who were awaiting repairs to detach their ignition keys from a fob or keyring to avoid adding weight that could make the ignition switch off unexpectedly.
RELATED CONTENT
-
Tesla Faces Second Autopilot Fatality Lawsuit
Tesla Inc. has been sued for the second time in three months by families of drivers killed in crashes while using the company’s Autopilot semi-self-driving feature.
-
Bosch Targeted in Criminal Probe of VW Diesel Cheating in U.S.
Federal prosecutors in the U.S. are trying to determine whether Robert Bosch GmbH conspired to help Volkswagen AB—and perhaps other carmakers—rig their diesel engines to evade emission standards, sources tell Bloomberg News.
-
U.S. Probes Possible Bosch Role in VW Diesel Scandal
The U.S. Dept. of Justice is investigating whether Robert Bosch GmbH aided Volkswagen AG in cheating on diesel emission tests, sources tell Reuters.