In recent years, Hollywood has done a lot to glamorize corporate greed, making it appear like a decadent lifestyle choice that can be, in its odd way, charming if not intoxicating. What Hollywood does not show, however, is how poor decisions meant to save mere cents for shareholders can lead to dangerous and even deadly product defects. Such is the case of 2.6 million cars produced by General Motors, which were recently recalled as a result of a faulty ignition switch. Tragically, it took the loss of 13 innocent lives for GM to issue a recall concerning a defect that the company may have known about more than a decade ago.
The New Orleans GM recall attorneys of Harrell & Nowak are, first and foremost, deeply sorry to the families and friends of those lost to these unnecessarily dangerous automobiles. We are honored to offer our legal services to any and all people whose lives were put at risk – or lost – in this travesty of greed.
An “Extraordinary” Situation
According to Mary T. Barra, chief executive of GM, the company was slow to issue recalls due to a situation she described as “extraordinary.” However, the company had issued numerous service bulletins alluding to defects without explicitly recalling the affected automobiles. GM engineers estimated that it would cost the company more than $40 million to change out the faulty ignition switches, so GM instead sent out bulletins, which put the impetus to repair the automobiles on owners.
In referring to GM’s failure to issue timely recalls, Nathan Naylor, a spokesman for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), stated that “A manufacturer must address a safety defect by conducting a safety recall, which requires the manufacturer to notify consumers and remedy the defect.” Joan Claybrook, former head of the NHTSA, added that “There’s no question that service bulletins have been used where recalls should have been.”
The Justice System at Work
Unfortunately, many corporations are completely unable or unwilling to hold themselves accountable and act responsibly in the face of ethically challenging circumstances. Thankfully, it is in such situations that the legal system so often rises to the occasion and acts as a forceful advocate of the people. This recent recall was prompted by a lawsuit filed by Ken and Beth Melton, parents of Brooke Melton, one of the victims of GM’s decision not to issue a timely recall. Without the Meltons exercising their rights, the GM recall might not have happened. And without the diligence of skilled personal injury attorneys and conscientious juries, we might never realize the profound injustice that occurred when Brooke Melton’s life was lost because a corporate giant didn’t invest 90 cents in repairing her faulty ignition switch.
The car accident attorneys of Harrell & Nowak are committed to being part of the solution for consumers who have been wronged. We take our hats off to the brave family of Brook Melton for taking on GM, and we hope that their actions will send a compelling message to other companies that might otherwise not put the interests and safety of their customers above profits.
For further information about the GM recall, or to schedule an evaluation of your case with our auto accident and recall attorneys, please contact the law firm of Harrell & Nowak today.