GM Injury Attorneys at the Onder Law Firm
St. Louis, MO (PRWEB) December 11, 2014
In GM injury lawsuit news this week, the General Motors Ignition Switch Compensation Fund has announced another increase in the ignition recall death toll*, the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) has intervened to accelerate the rate of ignition switch repairs**, and GM ignition switch lawsuits have uncovered internal company emails that call into question the timing of the GM recall.***
GM injury lawyers at the Onder Law Firm provide weekly analysis of the ignition switch recall and the progress of GM injury lawsuits. “Persons harmed in recalled vehicles are continuing to file GM ignition lawsuits around the nation, General Motors is continuing to acknowledge more injuries and deaths linked to the ignition switch defect, and the federal government is applying pressure on General Motors to remedy the dangerous defect that still exists in vehicles as quickly as possible. This week’s news shows that GM’s time in the spotlight is far from over. Our firm is committed to achieving justice for American families who have been harmed in a vehicle that was subject to the recall,” said Jim Onder, of the Onder Law Firm.
The official GM ignition switch fund reported an increase in the number of approved ignition switch deaths this week; the number now totals 38, according to the Detroit News.* Seven new injury claims were approved, yielding a new total of 51. Originally, prior to the establishment of the fund, General Motors acknowledged only 13 deaths linked to the dangerous ignition switch defect. According to the Detroit News, 11 of the original 13 have filed death claims with the fund. General Motors expects to pay out $400 – 600 million in compensation through the fund alone, according to the article. The company also paid $35 million to the NHTSA in May of 2014, as fines for the company's mishandling of the recall, according to the article
In addition to fining the company, the NHTSA is also applying pressure to General Motors to complete the recall repairs in a timely manner, according to a December 2, 2014 Consumer Advisory.** As a result of NHTSA’s intervention, General Motors is employing creative means to reach out to vehicle owners of cars that still have the faulty GM ignition switch. Methods for reaching these individuals include “traditional and social media” campaigns, outreach in multiple languages, and financial incentives for bringing a car in for recall repairs. According to the news release, “Moving forward, NHTSA will continue to push the automaker to keep up the momentum and get the remaining vehicles fixed promptly.”
Also in the week’s news, a series of email messages have been made public that raise questions about the timing of the GM ignition recall, which were covered by the New York Times in November.*** After delaying the recall for years, the emails make clear that General Motors issued a rush order for parts in December of 2013 but did not make the recall official until the next month, in late January, 2014.
GM injury lawsuit claims have been made in municipal and district courts around the country, including one in the city of St. Louis.**** The claims made in this particular GM injury lawsuit echo those alleged by GM ignition switch lawsuits nationwide. Each of these persons was injured in a car accident or killed while traveling in a GM vehicle that was later recalled for the widespread ignition defect, according to court documents. Attorneys representing families in national GM injury claims believe that persons harmed in a GM vehicle later recalled for a faulty ignition switch may be entitled to real compensation by filing a GM injury lawsuit. Lawyers handling GM ignition lawsuits provide no-obligation case reviews to individuals and families.
The Onder Law Firm welcomes GM ignition injury lawsuit inquiries from law firms in regards to handling them or working as co-counsel.
About The Onder Law Firm
Onder, Shelton, O’Leary & Peterson, LLC is a St. Louis based personal injury law firm handling serious injury and death claims across the country. Its mission is the pursuit of justice, no matter how complex the case or strenuous the effort. The consumer and family litigators at The Onder Law Firm have represented thousands of Americans in lawsuits against multinational conglomerates from products liability for manufacture of defective or dangerous products to deceptive advertising practices. Other firms throughout the nation often seek its experience and expertise on complex litigation. It is also a recognized leader in products liability cases such as window blind cord strangulation. The Onder Law Firm offers information from lawyers handling GM injury lawsuits at http://www.gminjurylawsuitcenter.com.
*Detroit News, 12/8/14, detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/general-motors/2014/12/08/general-motors-feinberg/20090055/
**NHTSA, 12/2/14, nhtsa.gov/About+NHTSA/Press+Releases/2014/owners-of-recalled-gm-cars-with-faulty-switches-urged-to-seek-free-remedy
***New York Times, 11/20/14, nytimes.com/2014/11/11/business/gm-ordered-replacement-ignition-switches-months-before-recall.html?_r=0
**** Skyesha Felix et al v. General Motors, LLC, Case No. 1422-CC09472 in St. Louis City Circuit Court, August 20, 2014