News

Actions

New trial begins over GM ignition switch issue

Posted

NEW YORK (AP) — The Latest on a second trial over General Motors' faulty ignition switch controversy (all times local):

4:10 p.m.

Weeks after the first trial over General Motors' faulty ignition switch controversy ended prematurely, a new one has begun in New York City.

Randall Jackson represents a woman and man injured in a 2014 New Orleans accident on an icy bridge. He urged jurors to hold GM accountable. GM lawyer Mike Brock says the company isn't to blame.

The Manhattan federal court trial is aimed at defining legal boundaries to speed settlement of hundreds of remaining lawsuits against GM. The suits were filed when the company continued to sell flawed cars for years after identifying the ignition switch defect.

Since early 2014, it has issued recalls affecting more than 30 million vehicles.

The switches can slip from the on position, causing cars to stall. GM says it has fixed the problem.

___

8 a.m.

Weeks after the first New York trial over General Motors' faulty ignition switch controversy ended prematurely, a new one is set to start.

The Manhattan federal court trial that begins Monday is meant to define legal boundaries that may aid the settlement of hundreds of lawsuits.

The case arose from a January 2014 accident on an icy New Orleans bridge. A man and woman who were in a 2007 Saturn seek compensation for injuries they say they incurred when the driver lost control of the car after she stepped on the brakes but could not stop.

The trial comes after the jury in an earlier trial was dismissed after both sides dropped the case when questions arose about the plaintiff's truthfulness. The trials are among six scheduled for this year.