What Will Faulty Ignition Switches Cost GM?

Dionne Spain was driving her 2007 Saturn Sky over the Crescent City Connection bridge in New Orleans in January 2014 when she hit her brakes to avoid a multi-car pileup. The car didn’t stop, and its power steering failed, she said. Spain rear-ended the vehicle in front of her, scraping the bridge’s inside rail. The accident left her with back and neck injuries. A passenger, Lawrence Barthelemy, was also hurt.

On March 14, Spain and Barthelemy will take their lawsuit against General Motors, maker of Saturn, to trial in federal court in Manhattan, alleging a defective ignition switch caused the brakes and steering to fail just when Spain needed them most. The case is the first big test for plaintiffs’ lawyers and the carmaker’s attorneys in assessing the strength and value of hundreds of similar allegations against GM. At least 17 cases scheduled for trial in state and federal courts this year will help determine how much the automaker will have to pay to resolve all the claims.