A fatal car crash involving a 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt may possibly interest Nebraska residents. Recently uncovered documentation revealed that after this incident took place, a Vanguard Car Rental USA claims adjuster wrote General Motors concerning it seven years before GM initiated a recall for that model of car.
The Vanguard insurance representative requested that the Chevrolet Cobalt and Saturn Ion maker look into why the car crashed. This marks one of 30 similar accidents that took place within the past eight years involving the Cobalt or the Ion. After further investigation, it appeared as though the casualties occurred because of inoperable airbags. It appears that a faulty ignition switch could switch the car off when it was running, stalling the engine, disabling steering and brakes, and preventing the airbags from deploying.
Because of the fatalities that resulted from these crashes, GM recalled more than 16 million vehicles in about eight years. A Washington-based research group called Center for Auto Safety said that the frequent rental car use could mean the difference between surviving and perishing in an emergency. Furthermore, GM later changed its policy on how to analyze car rental data when figuring out why the cars did not run right. The automobile maker said that many different people unfamiliar with the vehicles are using them, and they are often driven many miles in a short period.
Further investigation will provide new developments on these automobile recall cases. In the meantime, people affected by related car accidents will most likely seek help from a personal injury lawyer. Sometimes, plaintiffs receive a cash settlement after suing for wrongful death, medical expenses and loss of loved one.
Source: St. Lake Today, “Rental-car companies pushed GM on fatal crashes before recall“, Jeff Plungis and Tim Higgins, July 31, 2014
