From the AAJ (American Association for Justice) News Brief for John Badal for Monday July 28, 2014. The AP (7/26, Krisher) reports that a petition from Donald Friedman of Xprts LLC, “a Santa Barbara, California, company that examines crashes,” prompted NHTSA to seek additional information from General Motors about air bag failures in some Chevrolet Impala sedans. According to Friedman, he studied an April 2011 crash in Hidalgo County, Texas that severely injured a man and his wife when their 2008 Impala was hit on the passenger side by an SUV and forced into a concrete highway divider. The passenger-side air bag didn’t deploy, causing the man permanent brain injuries, according to a lawsuit filed against GM. He died 10 months later. NHTSA’s inquiry so far hasn’t found any defects, but the agency said it would seek further data from GM “in an abundance of caution.” The automaker said it would cooperate, the AP reports.
Reuters (7/26, Lienert) also reports on NHTSA’s decision Friday to look into the complaint, which directly affects some 320,000 Impalas from model year 2008 but potentially 2007 and 2009 models as well. The news service notes that GM this year has recalled almost 15 million vehicles, including the Impala, due to ignition-switch problems that could cause air bags to fail in a crash.
AAJ notes that it does not control the content or headlines in these stories. This service is a compilation of independent news sources, provided to give the public a full picture of daily news coverage on civil justice issues – good and bad. Inclusion here does not represent the opinions of AAJ.
From the Desk of John R. Badal. The substance of this case summary was provided by the American Association for Justice. Liever, Hyman & Potter lawyer John R. Badal has been proud to be a sustaining member of that Organization for more than twenty two years. Liever, Hyman & Potter has been fighting for the rights of those that have suffered injury and the families who have lost loved ones from wrongful injury for more than 55 years in Reading, PA, Berks County, PA, Pottsville , PA , Schuylkill County , PA and throughout the Central and Eastern Pennsylvania region.