General Motors issued the biggest recall in auto history nine months ago. What caused this extraordinary event? A design flaw that GM knew about for 10 years that caused the engine, steering, brakes and airbags to suddenly shut down, leaving drivers vulnerable to horrific crashes. Despite the serious risks, G.M. dealers are turning away drivers who are forced to wait for months for repairs to the deadly defect.
Another Woman Killed Because G.M Dealers Refused to Make Repairs
25 year-old Brittany Alfarone tried twice to have the ignition switch of her 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt repaired, but dealers refused. The first certified G.M. dealer claimed the car was ineligible for repairs because she bought it from a towing company following a crash. The second certified G.M. dealer told her the car had already been repaired before she bought it and was safe to drive. Tragically, she believed him.
Now it is too late. On the evening of October 9th, Ms. Alfarone was
killed in a wreck that so badly damaged her automobile that
investigators may not be able to retrieve data from the black box to
determine what happened. However, police have cited a faulty ignition
switch as the likely culprit. On the night of the accident, a witness
saw Ms. Alfarone trying to regain control of her car before it hit a
guardrail and burst into flames. Experts found that the nature of her
injuries suggest that the airbags did not deploy. Ms. Alfarone’s mother
also noted that the engine of her daughter’s car had suddenly shut off a few weeks earlier after hitting a bump in the center lane of a
congested Bronx, NY parkway.
G.M. Dealers Lack Parts and Loaner Cars
Despite its link to what GM admits are at least 30 fatalities — a number that is in the hundreds according to plaintiff lawyers — and numerous serious injuries, the
defective ignition switch remains in thousands of vehicles. G.M. blames owners for not seeking repairs, an assertion that is as shocking as it is false.
G.M. dealers report that they cannot keep up with the high demand for
ignition switch repairs or enough lack parts to complete repairs.
In addition, dealers have not had loaner cars available, as offered by
G.M. during the recall. In most areas of the United States, we need our
cars. With minimal public transportation and spread out suburbs, the
Dallas-Fort Worth area is representative of much of the country. It is
ridiculously unrealistic to expect anybody to function without driving
for the weeks and months it is taking for repairs to be made.
Owners,
therefore, continue to drive their recalled vehicles because they simply have no other options for getting to work, driving their kids to school and shopping for groceries and other necessities. G.M. boasts that the
company has loaned more than 89,000 cars to drivers waiting on ignition
switch repair — this equals less than four percent of the number of
recalled cars on the road.
G.M. Pleads Bankruptcy As A Bar to Pre-2009 Deaths And Injuries
Yesterday, the company filed new documents in which it said that its 2009 bankruptcy prohibited the heirs of any driver who was killed or its customers who injured from receiving compensation.
Were You Injured Due To A Defective Ignition Switch?
Berenson Law represents victims injured in defective G.M. vehicles.
I am shocked that G.M. has not fulfilled its obligations to its
customers. By delaying repairs, G.M. is continuing to put drivers at
serious risk. If you or a loved one have suffered
injuries because of a faulty G.M. part, our law firm can help. Call
Berenson Law at 817-885-8000 or toll-free at 1-888-801-8585 to schedule
your free case evaluation.
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