Manufacturers of automobiles in the United States are under a legal obligation to test their vehicles and parts to ensure safety prior to their release to the public. If any problems are discovered, they must be corrected. Reports indicate General Motors (GM) was aware of as many as 1 million of their vehicles being equipped with a defective ignition switch and/or airbags, but failed to take corrective action despite being warned by attorneys of the risks of facing civil litigation. CNN News claims GM received reports of the problem in early 2013, after an engineer reported the ignition switch issue to top executives. The company ignored the problem though, and was warned by attorneys at least four times that failing to address the issue could result in costly lawsuits and penalties. Despite these findings coming to light, GM CEO Mary Barra has stated the company will not take responsibility for all of the accidents involving more than 1 million vehicles that have been recalled because of the ignition switch and airbag problems. Barra went on to claim the defective car parts are two different sets of circumstances and should not be categorized with one another. This lack of responsibility is why the Buffalo personal injury lawyers with William Mattar Law Offices encourage anyone who has been harmed by a recalled GM vehicle to discuss their potential rights to compensation with a qualified attorney.
GM Continues to Deny Responsibility for Defective Ignition Switch Crashes