Over the past year, GM has recalled over 26 million automobiles. Of those, several million recalls were issued due to a faulty ignition switch. Chief among the recalled vehicles were the Saturn Ion and the Chevrolet Cobalt. As a part of the recall, GM has promised to repair all the recalled vehicles free of charge for their owners.
However, according to a recent article by the New York Times, owners are having a difficult time getting in to get the necessary repairs made. The article mentions the story of a 25-year-old New York woman who was killed when her 2006 Chevy Cobalt was involved in a terrible accident, killing the woman instantly. Evidently, the woman’s mother had taken the car into the dealership to have the recall taken care of twice in the past several months, but she was given two separate stories as to why the recall was not needed on her specific car.
Others recount similar stories about taking their recalled GM vehicles into a dealership to have the recalled part replaced and having the dealership tell them that it had “already been fixed,” or that they didn’t have the part, or that the necessary machine was not operational that day.
General Motors is claiming that it has in its possession all the parts necessary to perform all the recalls. However, there seems to be a discrepancy between what the corporate headquarters is saying and what customers are hearing when taking the cars to the dealership.
Recalls in the United States
Most automobile recalls are taken care of by the vehicle manufacturer shortly after the recall is announced. In fact, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, 75% of recalls are completed within 18 months of a recall’s announcement.
However, this recall may be a little different for a number of reasons. First, it is one of the largest recalls in the history of United States auto manufacturing. Second, the recall is for an older model of car, and people may not be paying attention to recall announcements. In fact, GM is attributing a large portion of the uncompleted recalls to customers not having time to bring in their vehicles, or having the knowledge that their vehicles were recalled.
In any event, GM stands to be liable for billions of dollars in damages.
Have You Been Injured in a Recalled Vehicle?
If you have recently been in a accident that involved one of the many recalled GM vehicles—or any other recalled vehicle—you may be entitled to monetary damages to help compensate you for your injuries or loss. However, as you can see, GM is not especially easy to deal with, and it will be in your best interest to ensure that you have skilled legal counsel to help you along the way. The dedicated attorneys at the Maryland personal injury law firm of Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers have decades of experience holding negligent manufacturers liable for their shortcomings. Call 410-654-3600 today to set up a free initial consultation with a knowledgeable personal injury attorney.
More Blog Posts:
Construction Worker Injured in Workplace Accident Receives Verdict of over $21 Million, Maryland Accident Law Blog, November 10, 2014.
Baltimore Boy Awarded Over $2 Million in Lead-Exposure Case, Maryland Accident Law Blog, October 8, 2014.