Thomas J. Henry Reacts to 4th Expansion of GM Recall
CORPUS CHRISTI, TX (April 14, 2014) — General Motors has announced yet another expansion of the ignition switch recall – one which will fix faulty lock cylinders. An April 10th news release announcing the newest defect also highlights the fact that ignition switches in the recalled cars can turn off due to the force caused by a collision, leading to air-bag non-deployment.
Thomas J. Henry, the legal team leading the country in the GM recall litigation, is shocked that GM is just now admitting that airbag failures can occur as a direct result of the defect.
“We see first-hand how the collision itself is the “jarring” event causing the non-deployment of the airbag. I have hundreds of clients and the cause and effect relationship has become clearly evident,” lead attorney Thomas J. Henry stated.
He goes on, “They are now admitting that when you get into a crash in one of these recalled cars- your airbags may not deploy. Not just because of a heavy key ring or a bumpy road- but because the actual impact from a crash may cause your car to turn off.”
He further states, “GM has deliberately deceived us. They hid this information time and time again, only now revealing it in their lock cylinder release.”
Lastly he states, “The grotesque morality displayed by GM in hiding these defects for over a decade and allowing these vehicles to kill and maim the public is coming to an end.”
AIRBAG NON-DEPLOYMENT MAY OCCUR IN CRASH
In their latest addition to the ignition switch recall, GM essentially admits that if a driver is involved in a collision, the sheer force of the collision can throw the ignition out of the run position, causing airbags not to deploy in the crash. Their news release states the following:
“The time of the key movement out of the “run” position, relative to the activation of the sensing algorithm of the crash event, may result in the airbags not deploying, increasing the potential for occupant injury in certain kinds of crashes.” – Excerpt from GM News Release, “GM to Replace Lock Cylinder During Ignition Switch Recall”
IGNITION SWITCH RECALL HAS BEEN EXPANDED 4 TIMES
This is the fourth time that GM has tried to reframe and hide the simple truth about these recalled vehicles – GM first recalled approximately 780,000 Chevy and Pontiac vehicles in February 2014. The company expanded that recall on February 25 to include 1.6 million vehicles and added two Saturn vehicle models to the recall. On March 18, GM expanded the recall again to include older model vehicles, bringing the grand total to 2.6 million.
According to GM, a heavy key ring, bumpy road, or “other jarring event” can cause the ignition to switch from the “on” to the “off” or “accessory” position while the vehicle is in motion. This can lead to loss of vehicle power, loss of power steering, and non-deployment of airbags. The switches have been linked to 303 deaths and numerous other accidents and injuries.
ABOUT THE FIRM
Thomas J. Henry, a national law firm and one of the largest injury firms in the country, is representing victims in all 50 states. Thomas J. Henry is representing a large number of families who have lost loved ones and individuals who have suffered catastrophic injuries.
