The family of Brooke Melton is finally getting the justice they deserve after successfully suing General Motors (GM) for the death of their daughter, twice. Brooke Melton died in a March 2010 auto accident near Atlanta. The ignition switch in the Chevrolet Cobalt she was driving slipped out of the run position, which then shut off the cars engine causing the vehicle to lose its power steering abilities and brakes, and disabled the airbags. Melton's vehicle skidded out of control and crashed into another vehicle. In Sept. 2013, the Meltons settled with GM for $5 million over the death of their daughter, but five months later, the company recalled 2.6 million vehicles for a defective ignition switch. The Chevrolet Cobalt was one of the main vehicles recalled. In May 2014, the Meltons refiled their lawsuit and alleged that GM knew about the defect and purposely hid evidence about the defective ignition switches. On March 13, the second lawsuit was confidentially settled. According to the Melton family's lawyers, Kenneth Feinberg, who was hired to settle thousands of GM's ignition switches claims, played an active role in this settlement. So far, Feinberg has reached settlement deals with the families of 64 people who were killed in auto accidents caused by the defective ignition switch. Additionally, GM has settled claims with 108 people who were injured. Thousands of claims are still under review. At O'Connor, Acciani & Levy, we have been following the GM ignition switch fiasco since the company began recalling their vehicles in Feb. 2014. If you or someone you love has been injured due to a faulty ignition switch or defective automobile, a personal injury lawyer from our firm can help you get the justice you deserve.
Melton Family Successfully Sues GM For Defective Ignition Switch Death
