General Motors has settled the final two ignition-switch cases slated for trial in a New York federal court this year which, the Wall Street Journal said, moved the auto maker closer to clearing remaining legal hurdles resulting from a defect linked to 124 deaths.
The WSJ said the cases were the final two among a half dozen selected for so-called bellwether trials aimed at setting settlement patterns for remaining personal injury and wrongful death suits. The cases arose from about 2.6m older cars GM recalled in early 2014 with faulty ignition switches that risk being accidentally knocked into the off position, cutting power to engines and safety features including power steering, power brakes and air bags.
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GM reached an agreement last week to settle the lawsuits, which alleged injuries tied to the defective ignition switches, Bob Hilliard, a Texas plaintiffs' lawyer involved in the litigation, told the Wall Street Journal.
"We have an agreement to settle the last two federal bellwether cases scheduled for 2016," GM spokesman Jim Cain told the paper, adding the terms are confidential.
GM has found ignition-switch trials in New York and a separate Texas proceeding this year "extremely helpful," Cain added. Juries have weighed all evidence and "not just the mistakes GM has already admitted…helping all of the parties achieve their common goal: the fair and timely resolution of lawsuits," he told the WSJ. The latest two cases were set for trials this month and November, respectively. They each involved allegations of injuries motorists suffered in crashes that were tied to GM's defective switches and subsequent air-bag failures.
The WSJ said GM still faces another round of bellwether trials next year stemming from safety recalls, including those of vehicles with different ignition switches that can suffer unintended rotations. Other claims remain alleging declining resale values on vehicles due to GM's safety lapse.
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