General Motors has decided to settle the final two bellwether lawsuits relating to its faulty ignition switch.
In preparation for 234 injury and death lawsuits filed against General Motors regarding its ignition switch issues, a series of test trials were arranged to help the company and plaintiffs define settlement options. Of these, the first was dismissed and two were ruled in favor of GM, including one regarding a fatal crash in 2011 that involved a Saturn Sky.
Despite winning two of the test trails, GM decided to settle the two latest ones outside of court. The first involved a woman who was suing the firm over injuries she suffered during a crash while behind the wheel of a Chevrolet Cobalt.
The second trial revolved around the 2013 crash of a Saturn Ion when the driver, Amy Norville, was forced to avoid a deer on the road.
Speaking with Reuters, company spokesman James Cain said “We have an agreement to settle the last two federal bellwether cases.”
Next year, a selection of other cases are due to go to trial and according to Bob Hilliard, a lawyer for the plantiffs, General Motors may only settle those it doesn’t think it can win.
“My expectation is they will try to resolve those that they believe put the company at peril and try the ones they think they can win,” he said to Reuters.
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