GM Wins Ignition Switch Lawsuit in Texas

A Texas county court jury needed less than one hour to decide unanimously that a defective General Motors Co. defective ignition switch didn’t cause a fatal crash in 2011.

The plaintiff, Zachary Stevens, claimed the switch in his 2007 model Saturn Sky sport coupe abruptly killed engine power and caused him to crash into another car, killing the other driver. GM successfully argued that Stevens was speeding and driving recklessly and that the switch, though defective, didn’t cause the crash.

GM recalled 2.6 million of the switches in 2014 after acknowledging they can be easily jogged out of the “run” position. The company has paid an estimated $2 billion in penalties and settlements surrounding the defect, which has been blamed for at least 124 deaths and 275 serious injuries.

GM has prevailed in four other ignition switch lawsuits this year. Two were dismissed in a federal court in New York City early this year, and the third was tossed out by a state court judge in Texas last week. It settled a fourth case in April to avoid a trial.

All five cases this year are considered bellwether lawsuits used to help determine the likely outcome of similar complaints.