General Motors Chief Executive, Mary T. Barra, is scheduled to testify before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee. In her second appearance, before a Congressional Subcommittee, she is expected to testify regarding General Motors long delayed recall of the defective small vehicles which are now tied to 13 deaths. However, the actual death rate related to the faulty ignition switches of the Cobalt and other related vehicles using the same ignition design is expected to rise dramatically as the investigation into these defect-related deaths continues.
The real question that will not be asked of Ms. Barra is why she appeared before the Detroit Bankruptcy Court a few weeks ago to request that the bankruptcy protection that was granted General Motors with regard to vehicles manufactured before May 2009 remain intact.
By the time that General Motors filed bankruptcy, which was granted, they effectively received protection from any liability that they had for the design and manufacture of the vehicles that they unleashed upon an unsuspecting public which resulted in the deaths or significant serious injuries of primarily first time and teenage drivers. The Cobalt was also merchandized and heavily advertised to appeal to first time young women drivers.
Ms. Barra has repeatedly attempted to publicize her responsibilities as a “mother” and not just a CEO in explaining her concern regarding the delays in the identification and publication of the safety defects of these vehicles.
It clearly appears that she is acting in the best interests of General Motors as its CEO, in petitioning the Bankruptcy Court to continue its blanket immunity protection, which General Motors received when bankruptcy was granted in 2009.
That bankruptcy protection could be stripped away if it can be proven that General Motors knew or should have known of the alleged ignition safety related defects and did not disclose it at the time that they petitioned for bankruptcy. The evidence is quite clear, based upon the investigation conducted by the New York Times and other news agencies, that General Motors’ employees and their attorneys were aware of the existence of these ignition related defects well before General Motors declared bankruptcy.
Hopefully, it is not too late for Ms. Barra to reconsider her position and to request that the Bankruptcy Court withdraw the blanket liability immunity that was bestowed upon General Motorist in order for justice to be done for the families who have suffered the most as a result of the harm caused by these safety defects. If Ms. Barra truly cared about the suffering caused to the families of loved ones who unnecessarily perished in these vehicles, she could request that GM relinquish their bankruptcy protection.
California workers who suffer injuries on the job because of a third party’s negligence, recklessness, or wrongdoing can file a personal injury suit to recover damages. Agriculture and construction, for example, are two of California’s biggest industries, and on-the-job accidents in those industries often involve third-party liability.
When you’re injured on the job in California, you’ll probably be informed that the only compensation you qualify for is the workers’ compensation provided by your employer’s insurance company. While this is the general rule in California, there are a number of situations where you may be able to sue for damages other than conventional workers’ compensation benefits:
Bicycling is one of southern California’s most popular recreations. Unfortunately, a number of drivers don’t seem to understand that bicyclists have legal rights on the road. If you’ve been injured while bicycling by the negligent behavior of another driver, contact an experienced personal injury attorney at once about receiving compensation for your injury. Even when taking full safety precautions, bike riders can suffer serious injuries; obviously, they lack the safety advantages enjoyed by motor vehicle drivers. And while fewer than one out of every hundred persons using the road at any given moment is a bicyclist, they have a much higher risk of injury than the other ninety-nine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that in 2010, accidents sent over 500,000 bicycle riders to emergency rooms and nearly 800 to their deaths.
According to the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA), 2.4 million people in the United States, including 475,000 children, suffer a traumatic brain injury (TBI) every year. 52,000 will die from that brain injury, according to the BIAA. If you or a loved one has suffered a traumatic brain injury because another person was negligent, speak right away with an experienced personal injury attorney. You have the legal right to be compensated for your medical expenses and lost wages.
Lipitor® is one of the cholesterol-reducing drugs known as statins. In 2012, the Food and Drug Administration reported on serious health risks for patients using statins, particularly women, including declining glycemic control and a sharply-heightened risk for developing type 2 diabetes. The risk largely exists for women with excess weight, elevated triglycerides, or high blood pressure. Packaging for Lipitor® and other statins was updated at that time to address these concerns.