Last Friday, General Motors Company (GM) announced a recall on 4.3 million vehicles worldwide for defective software involving airbag deployment. The defect, which can prevent airbags from activating or seat belts to lock during a crash, has thus far been connected to three injuries and at least one death. The defect is described as a sensor problem that tricks the computer into thinking it is in test mode, and therefore doesn’t register as a real crash. While the problem only triggers in rare circumstances, the recall covers a wide variety of cars, including all the newer models of Buick LaCrosse’, GMC Sierra, Chevrolet Corvettes, Caprice, Spark EVs, and Tahoe’s, Silverado HD and 1500, the Silverado Suburban, and Cadillac Escalades. GM said they would be notifying customers and offering a free software update, which is reported to already be available at their dealerships.
This comes after the 2014 recall of GM’s ignition switches in 2.6 million cars worldwide, which caused nearly 130 deaths and hundreds of injuries. The company admitted fault in failing to disclose the known defect, but they avoided criminal charges by giving 900 million dollars to federal authorities as part of a deal. This time when GM learned of the problem and contacted its supplier, Delphi, and tested the cars thoroughly in June, ending in the decision to recall. Another recall for Takata airbags is expected to occur as well, with a resulting 2.5 million cars recalled across the United States and possibly costing many automakers, including GM, over 500 million dollars.
If you or anyone you know has been injured in an accident involving a defective or recalled vehicle, contact the experienced attorneys at Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner by calling (713) 222-7211 or 713-222-7211.