As reported in Law360 (subscription), plaintiffs represented by Lieff Cabraser and co-counsel have defeated General Motors’ attempts to dismiss the federal class action lawsuit alleging that for more than a decade, GM hid defects in its trucks and SUVs that prevented airbags from deploying and seatbelts from tightening during crashes.
The lawsuit claims that GM vehicles such as the Silverado, Tahoe, Astro and Trailblazer have been manufactured with a defect in their sensing and diagnostic modules that prevents airbag and seatbelt deployment just 45 milliseconds after a crash begins, creating dangerous and sometimes fatal outcomes in crashes that last longer than that minuscule period.
In his order denying the automakers motion to dismiss, U.S. District Judge Jon S. Tigar said the drivers had “adequately put forward a unified definition of the alleged defect,” and that they had even “bolstered their complaint by adding specific details, including those related to a 2021 crash where a 2009 Silverado truck’s airbags failed to deploy, thereby causing the driver to suffer fatal injuries.”
Lieff Cabraser partner David Stellings, who represents the plaintiffs in the case, noted that he and his clients “look forward to the next stage of litigation.”
“Plaintiffs are pleased Judge Tigar denied GM’s motion to dismiss, and we appreciate the court’s attention and engagement through several rounds of briefing,” he said.
The plaintiffs are represented by Lieff Cabraser partners Richard Heimann, Nimish Desai, David Stellings, Katherine McBride and Jessica Moldovan, as well as co-counsel from Seeger Weiss LLP and Baron and Budd.
The full article is available on Law360’s website (subscription required).
Learn more about the General Motors Airbag Failures lawsuit.
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