Judge Permits Discovery on GM Ignition Switch Claims

U.S. District Court Judge Jesse Furman has ruled that plaintiffs may begin asking General Motors Co. to turn over documents relevant to their claims of injury, death or lost vehicle value related to recalls of vehicles with faulty ignition switches.

GM has called back more than 16.4 million vehicles this year with various ignition flaws, including 2.6 million cars linked to at least 19 fatalities.

The company had asked Furman to delay a decision until another judge determines if "new" GM is shielded from claims of incidents that occurred before its July 2009 restructuring. That ruling isn't expected until next year.

Furman says plaintiffs may begin discovery now, but only on claims that would not be affected by the later bankruptcy decision. His ruling also says discovery should relate to document requests and not depositions.