New General Motors Recall Can Compromise Steering & Lead to Car Accident

GM Recalls More Truck & SUVs for Car Accident Injury Risk

General Motors (GM) has issued yet another vehicle recall – this time for a list of trucks and SUVs that have “inadequate welds” that can compromise steering and cause a truck or car accident.

GM is urging owners not to drive until necessary repairs are made to the following makes and models:

• 2016-’17 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
• 2016 Chevrolet Suburban
• 2016 Chevrolet Tahoe
• 2016 Cadillac Escalade
• 2016 Cadillac Escalade ESV
• 2016 GMC Yukon
• 2016 GMC Sierra 1500
• 2016 GMC Yukon XL

This recall joins a list of hundreds by GM in recent years, including recalls of vehicles with defective ignition switches that have led to at least 24 car accident deaths, 275 injuries, and billions in lawsuits.  Earlier this year, Pribanic & Pribanic settled with General Motors in a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of a Pennsylvania man killed in a November 2013 one-vehicle crash due to defective ignition switch.

“I feel badly we did not get to try this case for all the people in the country who were watching this process, but you have to do the best thing for your client,” Pribanic told the New York Times. The case was one of six bellwether trials, the one where GM had “the most to lose” according to the Times.

According to NBC News, a federal appeals court ruled just last month that GM knew its defective ignitions switches were leading to injury and death but concealed the problems when it entered bankruptcy seven years ago. The recent ruling prevents the company from using its bankruptcy to block billions more in liabilities lawsuits from victims and their families.

Of course, GM is not the only manufacturer simmering in a stew of lawsuits due to defective parts and products. Honda and Toyota have had their share of dangerous recalls as well.

And as the number of recalled vehicles increases nationwide, so do the number of recalled vehicles that are never fixed and still roam the roads.

According to a recent study by J.D. Power and Associates, about one in six vehicles licensed to operate on roads in the United States – at least 45 million – have an unrepaired safety problem linked to recalls issued between 2013 and 2015:

“Over the past 20 years, more than 437 million vehicles have been affected by safety recall decisions in the United States, according to the NHTSA. In 2015 alone, more than 51 million vehicles were the subject of safety recalls, more than in any previous year.”

If you have experienced unexpected loss of control of your vehicle resulting in a crash and injury, consult our experienced product liability and personal injury attorneys at Pribanic & Pribanic for a free consultation. Call 412-672-5444 or toll-free 800-392-4529.

To check for recalls on a particular vehicle make and model, visit SaferCar.gov and enter the Vehicle Identification Number, or VIN, which you can find on the tag at the base of the windshield and on the registration.