Arkansas Supreme Court justices say yes to big auto lawsuit

2009-01-14 22:36:44 (GMT) (JusticeNewsFlash.com - Justice News Flash, Product liability)

Lawyers file lawsuit against GM for defective brakes

Victims sue GM-automaker sold 4 million trucks/SUVs with bad brakes

Little Rock, AK (JusticeNewsFlash.com)–Top civil trial lawyers defending the rights of injured drivers and passengers got the green light from an Arkansas U.S. Supreme Court. As reported by the Associated Press (AP), General Motors Corporation (GM) failed to block a class action lawsuit filed in federal court. The class action lawsuit alleges the Detroit automaker knowingly sold 4 million trucks and sport utility vehicles (SUV) with defectively designed parking breaks.

Boyd Bryant filed a lawsuit against GM in September of 2006 and was granted class action certification by a Miller County, Arkansas circuit judge. The big auto manufacturer attempted to block his claim and the class certification. Bryant listed trucks and SUVs the company made from 1999 to 2002 with defective parking brakes in his suit. Bryant claims the company knew about the defective brake design in 2000 and withheld the faulty brake information from dealerships until January 28, 2003. Instead, GM redesigned the brake defect in October of 2001, one year after they discovered the defect.

Legal experts say these are the typical tactics civil trial attorneys meet every day in the U.S. court system. General Motors argued in court the class shouldn’t be allowed because defective product laws pertaining to vehicles vary by state. Big automakers know if they can throw out legitimate claims under a state versus federal loop hole, injured victims and the civil justice attorneys representing them have to start over again at square one. This tactic keeps juries from hearing injured victims claims.

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