General Motors (GM) continues to face Congressional hearings and lawsuits related to their knowledge of faulty ignition switches that have been connected to at least 13 deaths over the past 10 years. Recent documents obtained by The New York Times shows that the company may not have been as forthcoming as the automaker had been with regulators regarding the problem. Ignition Problem According to death inquiry documents obtained by The New York Times, GM claimed they could not determine the cause of an accident that killed Gene Erickson, a passenger in a car driven by Candace Anderson, in 2004.
BMW announced on July 16, 2014 that they were recalling more than one million vehicles due to problems with passenger airbags, prompting some to consider a lawsuit against the manufacturer. The airbags were made by Takata Corporation and affects 3 Series vehicles manufactured between May 1999 and August 2006. Extension of Previous Recall According to BMW, the recall is an extension of a regional recall that United States safety regulators required in June. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommended a recall of vehicles with Takata Corporation airbags installed in both passenger and driver sides of vehicles.
Faulty ignition switches in General Motors’ Chevrolet Cobalt and Pontiac G5 vehicles built between 2005 and 2007 have been linked to six deaths in North America. This marks the fourth recall linked to deaths by automakers over the past few years.
After a jury returned a $3 million compensatory award, Toyota reached a settlement in a case that may affect other pending suits, says Frenkel & Frenkel.
A judge has denied motions to dismiss counts against the Pittsburgh Zoo in a wrongful death lawsuit after a 2-year old died at the zoo, says Frenkel & Frenkel.