The date’s been set: January, 11, 2016. That’s the day General Motors will head to court for its first trial involving a personal injury or wrongful death due to faulty ignition switches.
This case is expected to set the tone for subsequent litigation on deck. GM is already expecting approximately 130 lawsuits, including claims of loss of vehicle value due to the ignition switch recalls.
Unless GM settles the lawsuits, there likely will be more bellwether trials whose outcomes should assist both plaintiffs and GM on the strengths and weaknesses of their cases, according to Automotive News.
The first trial will be selected among the pool of claims in the coming months, says U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman, the judge presiding over the case. Meanwhile, GM is currently attempting to hedge hundreds of potential claims through an out-of-court program run by legal consultant Kenneth Feinberg.
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