It appears that at least 74 people have died in what must be one of the most horrendous auto manufacturing defects in this brief decade. Less than a year ago, auto-manufacturing giant General Motors (GM), admitted that an ignition switch defect in some of their vehicles had led to the deaths of 13 individuals. Currently, this number seems to have grown to 74 people.
Overall, there are 1,300 defective car part claims that have been filed. Of these, 95 of the claims involved a fatal injury.
GM is offering an ignition switch compensation fund to those affected by their error. While the compensation seems to be satisfactory to some, the accepting of the offer will prohibit the victim or the victim’s family from pursuing any further legal action against the auto manufacturer.
GM has budgeted around $600 million for compensation. It is still yet to be determined if that figure is high enough to satisfy everyone affected.
It is unfortunate that car manufacturers sometimes delay a recall or never issue a recall because of desire to keep profits high at the expense of those harmed by a faulty auto part design.
Why It Is Important to Get the Right Attorney for an Auto Defect
Successful companies in the auto industry have their own attorneys specifically trained to defend their negligent actions. Therefore, you are going to need an attorney with the experience to get started right away in defending your injuries and fighting vigorously and competently for your interests in the courtroom. A qualified attorney can investigate the situation that caused your injuries and gather witnesses, records and other evidence to prove that others played a role in your injuries.
Take a look at our legal blog to see how we keep the people of Florida up to date on the latest personal injury legal news, statistics, laws and other relevant information.
[Did You Know? A Firestone tire manufacturing defect led to about 200 deaths in the 1990s.]
Source: http://consumerist.com/2015/03/23/gm-ignition-recall-death-toll-rises-to-74/