Switched Off – Trial Magazine
By Lance Cooper and Pat Dawson
The Story of how GM’s ignition switch defects came to light can be instructive for other products liability litigation against automakers.
Kenneth and Beth Melton suffered a painful loss when their daughter, Brooke, died in a car wreck in 2010. But when they first walked into our firm, their case did not look like one that would eventually cost GM an estimated $2 billion in recall charges, a $35 million fine, and 15 or more GM employees their jobs. Or one that would spawn scores of lawsuits and bring 9/11 compensation negotiator Kenneth Feinberg into the fray.