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.

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.