Faulty GM Ignition Switch Leads to 7 More Deaths: Death Toll At 97

The General Motors (GM) automobile company has been around for more than a century, and they have been working to bring cars to families around the world. Their slogan is “People in motion,” but that doesn’t seem to be the case for several of its customers today. The death toll regarding GM’s faulty ignition switch has officially risen to 97 this year.

The death count had been at 90 just a few days ago, as reported previously on the Inquisitr. With 97 dead and another 179 injured, GM has recalled a shocking total of 30 million cars due to a faulty ignition switch. Of those recalled cars, 2.6 million have reported having a faulty ignition switch.

The ignition switch controls every function of your car, and when it malfunctions, it will cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle and prevent the airbags from deploying, leading to the high death count.

After further investigation, it turns out that GM has known about the faulty switch for a decade, but hadn’t made any moves to recall the car until last year in February after 13 deaths were reported.

Thankfully, the death toll is unlikely to rise much higher, as administrative action is being taken to ensure the recall of the products and safety of the consumers. With 669 claims brought to court, according to AutoBlog, the court has ruled in favor of the victims and they will each receive compensation for their injuries.

As for GM, they are facing a Justice Department probe of conduct to determine the action to be taken in regards to its irresponsibility in delaying the recall. However, the outcome is unknown and hard to predict. Because GM declared bankruptcy in 2009, the court has ruled them exempt from several lawsuits and claims related to the ignition switch.

Unfortunately, death by car accident isn’t uncommon, and this isn’t even the largest number of deaths related to an automobile malfunction. Ford, GM, Toyota, and Volkswagen have all recalled cars in the past due to dangerous glitches, according to CNN Money.

The biggest cause of death by car accident is, unfortunately, accidents involving drunk motorists. The CDC predicts that these types of car accidents total one third of all traffic-related deaths in the United States. According to Douglas Kans of Kans Law Firm, a DWI is one of the most commonly committed crimes, and often needs the most legal help.

Based on these statistics and more, all drivers should plan to be a little more cautious while on the road, especially those who are driving a GM vehicle.

[Image via CBS News]