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Showing posts with label General Motors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label General Motors. Show all posts

Friday, July 18, 2014

Documents Show General Motors Kept Silent on Fatal Crashes

Today's post was shared by Steven Greenhouse and comes from www.nytimes.com

The car crash that killed Gene Erickson caught the attention of federal regulators. Why did the Saturn Ion he was traveling in, along a rural Texas road, suddenly swerve into a tree? Why did the air bags fail? General Motors told federal authorities that it could not provide answers.
But only a month earlier, a G.M. engineer had concluded in an internal evaluation that the Ion had most likely lost power, disabling its air bags, according to a subsequent internal investigation commissioned by G.M.
Now, G.M.'s response, as well as its replies to queries in other crashes obtained by The New York Times from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, casts doubt on how forthright the automaker was with regulators over a defective ignition switch that G.M. has linked to at least 13 deaths over the last decade.
They provide details for the first time on the issue at the heart of a criminal investigation by the Justice Department: whether G.M., in its interaction with safety regulators, obscured a deadly defect that would also injure perhaps hundreds of people.


The company repeatedly found a way not to answer the simple question from regulators of what led to a crash. In at least three cases of fatal crashes, including the accident that killed Mr. Erickson, G.M. said that it had not assessed the cause. In another fatal crash, G.M. said that attorney-client privilege may have prevented it from answering. And in other cases, the automaker was more blunt, writing, “G.M....
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Monday, June 30, 2014

Where is the quality control in the first place?

Transportation accident make up a major portion of work-related accident. General Motors has announced today additional recalls of 8.4 million vehicles simultaneously with the announcement that payments will be made if fatal claims for ignition defect claims. One wonders how millions of vehicles can go rolling off assemby-lines without quality control. Today's post is shared fro nytimes.com

In a vast expansion of its safety crisis, General Motors recalled more than 8.4 million vehicles worldwide on Monday, bringing its total figures for the year above 28 million cars — more than the 22 million recalled last year by all of the automakers combined.

Among the recalled vehicles, G.M. said it was aware of seven crashes, eight injuries and three fatalities. About 8.2 million of the newly recalled cars have ignition defects that lead to inadvertent key rotation, and are models of the Cadillac CTS and SRX, and the Chevrolet Malibu, Monte Carlo and Impala, as well as the Oldsmobile Intrigue and Alero, and Pontiac Grand Am and Grand Prix. The model years range from 1997 to 2014.

Almost all of G.M.'s recalls have come since the automaker in February began recalling 2.6 million older Chevrolet Cobalts and other small cars with a defective ignition switch that it has tied to at least 13 deaths and 54 crashes. Earlier Monday, Kenneth R. Feinberg, who was retained by G.M. to develop a victim compensation program, announced the provisions to deal with claims of injury and...


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Monday, January 9, 2012

On-Star To Predict Type & Extent of injuries

English: Logo of General Motors Corporation. S...Image via WikipediaWorkers' Compensation is all about the results of injuries and new technologies may assist in evaluating claims and expediting treatment and awards. On-Star, the integrated system of General Motors (GM) that provides immediate reporting of accidents has announced that it will taking the next in the future. It will integrate the reporting system with data from the Centers for Disease Control and provide prediction data on the type and extend of injuries. 

Expanding internationally, Shanghai OnStar Telematics Service Co., Ltd will officially provide vehicle safety telematics service for the vehicles manufactured and sold by SGM in China. These services will include the Crash Automatic Resort Service, Emergency Rescue, Remote Door Unlock, Turn-By-Turn Navigation and Vehicle Condition Reports, etc.

Click here to read more:  GM OnStar will initiate the service of “Injury Prediction”
"The president of the OnStar claimed that: “the Injury Prediction service is a good substitution to the injury description by the vehicle owner who is injured seriously. This technology plays a part of virtual witness in the accident site. What is even more surprising is that the traffic accident and injury information acquired by this service is far more accurate than what is dictated by the witness. It is said that OnStar is going to officially provide this service from next year."
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For over 3 decades the Law Offices of Jon L. Gelman  1.973.696.7900  jon@gelmans.com have been representing injured workers and their families who have suffered occupational accidents and illnesses.

Sunday, September 5, 2010

The Fatal Consequences of the GM Bankruptcy

Logo of General Motors Corporation. Source: 20...Image via Wikipedia
The General Motors (GM) bankruptcy is going to adversely impact workers' compensation. It has been estimated that GM is facing  $500 Million worth of future mesothelioma claims that its bankruptcy estate is going to avoid paying. The claims will arise because  deadly asbestos fiber that was used in in the manufacture of GM products including brakes.

Last month U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Robert Gerber in New York permitted the unsecured creditors (asbestos claimants) to obtain documentation from GM about the number of estimated / asbestos liability claims it could be facing in the future. As a result of the bankruptcy action, GM transfered its assets only to
Motors Liquidation Co., but it plans not to transfer its asbestos liabilities to the new company. Therefore, future asbestos claims against GM will not be paid.

Brakes linings were raw asbestos. GM brakes were sold to and used by auto-mechanics for decades.  
Asbestos is a known carcinogen and its deadly effects have been recognized since the early 20th century. One of the latent diseases caused by asbestos exposure is mesothelioma, a rare and fatal illness.

Workers' Compensation systems throughout the United States have been literally swamped with asbestos related claims as the workforce aged and the disease has manifested. The workers' compensation insurance carriers and past employers who used asbestos products have sought to be reimbursed for benefits paid to injured workers by the ultimate wrongdoers, the suppliers, manufacturers and distributors of asbestos products. Those wrongdoers failed to place warning of its products concerning the hazards of asbestos fiber and knew of the hazards.


Taking away the right of ill employees to seek benenfits from GM for its alleged wrongful acts will severely impact the workers' compensation system throughout the US, especially if this process of avoidance becomes of model for future asbestos bankruptcy actions. Difficulties navigating the workers compensation systems at present for occupational illness benefits have become burdensome and extremely difficult for injured workers and their families. GM's attempt to absolve itself from financial responsibility for asbestos related disease should not be permitted as it may create a fatal economic attack on the ailing compensation system.

For over 3 decades the Law Offices of Jon L. Gelman 1.973.696.7900 jon@gelmans.com have been representing injured workers and their families who have suffered asbestos related disease.