Articles Posted in Auto Defect Litigation

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It would be hard to miss the multiple news releases and stories that General Motors has some big problems with its 2005-2007 Chevrolet Cobalt and its 2007 Pontiac G5.  General Motors is recalling these vehicles because a heavy key chain or rough roads can jar the key, turn off the engine and disable the airbags.  According to recent reports, General Motors has linked the defect to 31 crashes and 12 deaths.

However, there were no recalls of these vehicle until this year, so used car buyers considering a General Motors model may not have known of the faulty ignition switches.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has said that on outstanding recalls, about 30% of the owners do not return the car to the dealer for the recall fix.  Carfax, which sells reports tracing the history of used cars, says that 3.5 million vehicles were sold last year that had defects subject to a manufacturer’s recall but had not had the repair done.

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Liam O’Neill bought a 2000 GMC Jimmy SUV.  On July 3, 2001, his wife, Mary, was driving home in the SUV when the vehicle suddenly stopped.  She was in the eastbound lane of a 2-lane street.  Mary attempted to restart the SUV several times but it would not start.

She called a tow truck and her husband came out to help her push the SUV off the road. Mary then turned on her hazard lights and Liam pushed the car on the driver’s side, while steering. Mary pushed from behind.

While the O’Neills were trying to move the SUV, a car driven by Raymond Martin struck the rear of the SUV.  Liam was knocked to the ground and Mary’s legs were pinned between the two vehicles, which led to her legs being amputated above the knee.  Other cars had passed the O’Neills’ SUV while it was stopped without incident. The weather was clear and there were no visual obstructions or obstacles that hindered a view of the O’Neills’ stalled vehicle. 

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The family of a woman who died when her Toyota Camry suddenly accelerated and crashed, despite her efforts to stop it, has sued the Toyota Motor Corp. In opening statement the attorney for the plaintiff’s family asked the jury to return a verdict in excess of $20 million.

This case involves the death of Noriko Uno, who died in her Camry in 2009. This is the first case of this sort to go to trial in state court. The case was filed in Los Angeles County, Calif.

Toyota had recalled millions of its vehicles worldwide after it was reported by its drivers that some of its vehicles were surging without notice. The company has agreed to pay $1 billion in other related lawsuits.

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