GM Settles Ignition Switch Lawsuit for $13.9 Million
General Motors Co. says it has reached a $13.9 million settlement of a lawsuit by Orange County, Calif., claiming the company hid numerous safety flaws, including defective ignition switches blamed for 124 fatalities.
#legal
General Motors Co. says it has reached a $13.9 million settlement of a lawsuit by Orange County, Calif., claiming the company hid numerous safety flaws, including defective ignition switches blamed for 124 fatalities.
GM previously paid some $2.5 billion in compensation and criminal penalties. In 2014 the company also recalled 2.6 million of the ignition switches, which could be jolted out of the “run” position, thereby turning off the engine and cutting power to the brakes, steering and airbag systems.
The Orange County agreement was approved late Friday by a superior court judge. The deal settles charges of unfair competition and false advertising. Ten days ago GM reached a $120 million settlement with 49 states (excepting Arizona) and the District of Columbia of similar claims. The carmaker still faces more than 100 claims in the U.S. of economic loss and personal injuries.
RELATED CONTENT
-
VW Is Storing Nearly 300,000 Repurchased Diesels in U.S.
Volkswagen AG has stashed about 294,000 diesel-powered cars across the U.S. that it bought back from customers after admitting the vehicles were rigged to evade U.S. emission laws.
-
Tesla’s Autopilot Feature Deemed Partly to Blame in Fatal Crash
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board has concluded that Tesla Inc.’s semi-autonomous Autopilot feature was partly to blame for a crash 15 months ago that killed one of the carmaker’s customers.
-
The Law and Autonomous Cars
Features that enable your car to drive itself are coming to market now, but regulations to govern their performance have lagged, notes Jennifer Dukarski, an attorney with the Butzel Long law firm.