Mother Files GM Ignition Switch Lawsuit Over Son’s Death

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The family of a man who died driving a Chevy Cobalt filed a GM ignition switch lawsuit against General Motors, alleging that his death stemmed from the defect that led to the GM ignition switch recall.

The GM lawsuit was filed by Melinda Homer, the mother of Daniel Homer, who died in a car accident in 2013 when his 2006 Chevy Cobalt crashed into a school bus. The wrongful death lawsuit alleges that the ignition switch malfunctioned, causing the car to slip out of run mode, causing the accident. When the car impacted, Homer reportedly suffered lethal head trauma, and four children on the school bus sustained injuries.

Two months after Homer’s accident, GM recalled Chevy Cobalts, as well as other vehicles over a defective ignition switch. The GM recall indicated that the ignition switch could slip out of the “run” position, which would cause the engine to lose power. At the same time, the airbag would deactivate. The company has acknowledged the GM recall complications have been linked to several deaths and dozens of accidents.

Various investigations and GM class action lawsuits have shown that GM knew about these problems since 2002. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) was among the government agencies that looked into the GM ignition switch defect. They fined GM $35 million. An internal investigation by GM itself described a widespread “pattern of incompetence” within the automaker that ultimately lead to inaction on the issue for the better part of a decade.

A GM ignition switch recall class action lawsuit is being considered over the deaths and injuries from the allegedly defective GM ignition switch. A class action lawsuit is a group lawsuit, in which a number of plaintiffs allege they have suffered similar harm at the hands of the same defendants. Group lawsuits, including class action lawsuits, are designed to help streamline the legal process by combining tens, hundreds, or even thousands, of individual lawsuits into a single lawsuit. Individual suits like the Homer lawsuit could potentially join a larger GM class action lawsuit.

Additionally, a class action lawsuit is being considered by people alleging that the ignition switch recall has negatively affected both the value and resale value of their GM vehicles. This would be a separate GM class action lawsuit, apart from the litigation over deaths and injuries allegedly linked to the defect.

The GM Ignition Switch Lawsuit is titled Melinda Homer, et al. v. General Motors Limited Liability Corporation, et al., Case No. 14/7662, in the New York State Supreme Court, County of Monroe.

Join a Free GM Recall Injury Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you or a loved one were severely injured or died in an automobile accident related to the GM ignition recall, you may be eligible to participate in the class action lawsuit and pursue compensation. The GM recall class action lawsuit will attempt to hold the automaker accountable for manufacturing and selling defective vehicles and failing to address safety flaws that endangered hundreds of thousands of customers. See if you qualify now at the GM Ignition Switch Recall Class Action Lawsuit Investigation.