Product Liability and General Motors General Motors will pay a huge fine within the upcoming months because of a deadly defect in their motor vehicles. About 124 deaths are attributed to the faulty ignition switch in GM cars. What's worse is that the company knew about it for about 10 years and still continued to make cars with the defective parts. The company admitted that they kept information from regulators and consumers because replacing the products would be expensive. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said, “Deception and delay are unacceptable, and the price for engaging in such behavior is high.” The deception for GM cost about $900 million. More Money Apart from this ruling, the automaker is involved in 1,386 related civil lawsuits. GM has apologized for its ignorance but that doesn't replace the lives of the lost and they know that. GM has set aside $625 million to compensate crash victims and their families. The number is pretty staggering because of the amount of cars that were manufactured and sold throughout the entire decade. There were about 2.6 million vehicles recalled for the ignition switch failures just last year. This failure causes the car to suddenly shut down while the vehicle is in drive. All of the functions that work together to keep the car safe, such as power steering and air bags are all turned off. But, as I've stated before, the automaker decided not to tell customers about the defect because of cost and other factors. They instead stated that the defect did not pose a safety concern. Many feel as though GM employees who produced the cars should be held criminally liable for the deaths of the victims. Still, no individuals will be prosecuted in the case (as of now) because criminal penalties are not a part of the Vehicle Safety Act that protects automakers. The agreements that have resulted in civil lawsuits have resolved difficult claims without the trouble and uncertainty of litigation. Although GM is paying for their behavior, many consumers were injured or killed. The families of the victims will be forever changed by the ignition failure. Customers trusted the automaker to make reliable and safe cars that can get them from A to B. Instead, they drove faulty designs that were more likely to kill them than prevent them from being killed. Unfortunately, companies try to get away with this all the time. Product liability is a huge factor in consumers trusting companies. As of right now, GM is on a three year probation period. Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA Here in Clearwater, Florida, Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA focuses on securing the compensation that our clients deserve and need when they are injured due to someone else's negligence. If the life of a loved one has been wrongfully cut short because of someone else's lack of care such as an automaker, the stress of the situation is only increased when medical bills, funeral costs, and other expenses arise. While we know that no amount of money could ever replace the precious and invaluable life of a family member or beloved friend, we also understand that a normal life can be difficult to re-obtain after going through such a traumatic event; for everyone involved. With that said, it's easy to understand why we would want to dedicate our time to the innocent families that are torn apart by the wrongdoing of others. To prove our honest commitment, we offer a free consultation and case evaluation, and in the event that you'd like us to litigate for you and your case, we'll promise to collect attorney fees only if we secure compensation for you. Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA 800 North Belcher Road Clearwater, Florida 33765 727-451-6900