Cobb Couple’s Suit Against GM Takes ‘Center Stage’ – The Daily Report
By Katheryn Hayes Tucker
According to Cooper, the August 2013 settlement of the case was based on information from GM to the effect that the company’s executives didn’t know of the ignition switch defect Cooper learned about during his investigation of the Meltons’ case. “We didn’t have any evidence that they knew about the design change because they told us they didn’t,” Cooper said.
Still, Cooper wrote to regulators in pursuit of a safety recall over ignition switches suddenly turning themselves from run to off or auxiliary. After the Meltons settled, GM began recalling cars similar to Brooke’s, then bigger cars. Congress began an investigation, as did GM, revealing that some GM executives knew of the defect for a decade before Brooke died. That knowledge was affirmed by GM CEO Mary Barra in televised testimony before the congressional subcommittee investigating GM, although Barra said she did not find out about the problem until after she took office in January. A company report also revealed the Meltons were paid $5 million to settle—money they are now seeking to return.