The U.S. District Judge presiding over all federally-filed General Motors (GM) recall lawsuits has established criteria for selecting a group of cases that will be prepared for early trials. Since June 2014, all lawsuits filed against GM alleging defective ignition switches have been consolidated into a multidistrict litigation (MDL) for pretrial proceedings in the Southern District of New York.
If you have questions about pursuing a claim for compensation against GM, call Attorney Group for a free consultation. We can answer your questions and connect you with an affiliated GM recall lawsuit attorney who can assist you throughout the legal process.
GM Recall Bellwether Trials
There are approximately 167 lawsuits pending in the MDL, which involve similar claims that the ignition switches in certain vehicles caused the cars to suddenly turn off if the ignition was jarred or if heavy key chains were used. If this happens, airbags could fail to deploy in a collision, increasing the risk of severe injuries or deaths.
As part of the proceedings, the judge previously established a bellwether process, where several trials will take place in succession beginning in early 2016. These cases are designed to help both parties gauge how juries may respond to testimony and evidence that are likely to be repeated throughout the litigation.
In an order issued in early February 2015, the presiding judge stated the bellwether trials will be limited to three categories of wrongful death or personal injury lawsuits, which all must involve the failure of airbags to deploy in a subset of vehicles, including Saturn Sky, Chevrolet HHR, Pontiac Solstice, Saturn Ion, Pontiac G5, and Chevrolet Cobalt models.
A follow-up order issued February 17, 2015 included wrongful death claims of cars with airbags that did not deploy, severe personal injury claims of airbags that did not deploy, and mild to moderate personal injury lawsuits against the auto maker.
Do You Have Questions about the GM Recall?
If you or a loved one was injured in a car accident involving a vehicle included in the GM recall, Attorney Group can help. We are currently offering free, no-obligation consultations. We can answer your questions, and if you have case, we can connect you with an affiliated GM recall attorney who can assist you in seeking the compensation to which you may be entitled.
