Jury finds faulty GM ignition switch did not cause crash, report says
General Motors employees knowingly installed faulty ignition switches in cars between 1998 and 2014.
However, a jury ruled Wednesday morning that the defective switch was not to blame for at least one crash in 2014.
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According to Reuters, an eight-person Manhattan, New York jury found that a 2014 crash on a bridge in New Orleans involving a 2007 Saturn Sky was not caused by the car's faulty switch.
Plaintiffs Dionne Spain and Lawrence Barthelemy claimed they suffered back pain when the defective ignition switch slipped out of position, causing the car to crash.
GM argued the crash was caused by slippery roads.
"The jurors studied the merits of the case and saw the truth: this was a very minor accident that had absolutely nothing to do with the car's ignition switch," GM spokesperson Jim Cain said in a statement.
However, the jury found GM didn't sufficiently warn the public of the safety risks surrounding its faulty ignition switches.
This ruling is significant because it serves as a test for other injury and death cases being brought against GM linked to the faulty ignition switches, which could fall out of place. Once out, the engine would stall, which, in turn, would cut power to the brake, steering and air bag systems. Given those effects, it's hard to believe that GM will avoid liability all cases, like it did in this one.
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Topics Cars
