On behalf of Nicolet Law Office, S.C. posted in Fatal Motor Vehicle Accidents on Saturday, March 29, 2014.
There are multiple reasons why a motor vehicle accident might occur. While often the behavior of a driver is to blame, other times the fault may lie in the vehicle itself. When an automobile is defective, it could lead to an accident occurring. As is the case with any motor vehicle accident it is possible that these could lead to death.
A defect affecting certain models of car made by General Motors is apparently to blame for a fatal accident that occurred in Western Wisconsin in 2006. Two teens were killed and another seriously injured when the 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt, in which they were travelling, hit several stationary objects after leaving the road, including trees and a telephone junction box. The driver apparently lost control of the vehicle.
According to a wrongful death lawsuit recently filed in connection with the matter, against the carmaker, as well as the dealership where the vehicle involved in the accident was purchased, the driver lost control of the car because of the ignition problem tied to some GM vehicles. The lawsuit alleges that the reasons behind the recent recall of vehicles for this reason was known by individuals at the car company for 10 years but until the recent recall, the business did not do anything about it.
The recent recall is due to the possibility that power to systems such as braking, steering and airbags could be lost when the ignition switch malfunctions, switching to "accessory" rather than the "run" position. Without those basic systems, it is easy to see how an accident could occur.
Each family of the teens involved in the incident is seeking an excess of $50,000. How this case will be resolved and whether similar lawsuits will follow remains to be seen.