Judge Advises Quick Settlement in GM Ignition Switch Trial

The judge presiding over the first jury trial involving General Motors Co.’s defective ignition switches will allow the company to present evidence to the jury that the plaintiff lied to them.

But Judge Jesse Furman also suggests plaintiff Robert Scheuer settle rather than continue the trial, thereby “cutting our proverbial losses.” He adds that the case may not be the bellwether attorneys had hoped for to guide similar claims by others against GM.

Meanwhile, Scheuer and his wife each have hired criminal defense lawyers to handle possible perjury charges against them. Legal observers note that GM’s disclosures are a huge embarrassment for Scheuer’s legal team, which was caught unaware.

Scheuer had testified he suffered memory loss and neck and back injuries in 2014 when his Saturn Ion ran off the rode and struck a tree. He claims the car’s airbags failed to deploy and blames the vehicle’s ignition switch. The switch is among 2.6 million recalled by GM because they can be jogged out of the “run” position, thereby turning off the airbag system.

Scheuer told the jury his memory loss caused him to misplace a large check intended to help buy a “dream house” after the crash, resulting in his eviction a few months later. But GM will present evidence that the eviction occurred because Scheuer had doctored a check for $430.72 to look like it was worth $441,403.72 and attempted to pass the check as proof of funds in the home purchase.

GM also contends that Scheuer’s injuries predated the crash and that the impact itself was too mild to trigger the airbags.