Defective car ignition switch: GM settles 2 bellwether cases

Two product liability cases related to General Motor’s defective ignition switches (see previous blog) have been settled in federal court this week. The cases are two of several bellwether trials that will provide guidance from the hundreds of lawsuits that have been brought against General Motors.  So far 3 of these bellwether cases have been settled by GM, 2 were won by GM and another one was dropped before trial.

The two cases settled for an undisclosed amount involved two women who were driving at low speeds. In the first case, Stephanie Cockram from Virginia struck a wall after losing control of her vehicle. The airbag never opened and she suffered head injury, jaw injury and a broken hip. In the other case Amy Norville from Kentucky lost control of her vehicle after trying to avoid a deer. She hit a tree and again the airbag didn’t deploy. Her neck was fractured and her sternum broken.