Although the criminal charges against General Motors have mostly been put behind it, after a deferred prosecution agreement last month, a handful of civil lawsuits are still on schedule to take place early next year.
As those cases move forward, the discovery process is in full swing, and top current, and former, GM executives have been scheduled for depositions, according to The Detroit News.
Current General Motors CEO, Mary Barra, has had her deposition scheduled for October 19, according to The Detroit News, and former CEOs Dan Akerson and Rick Wagoner, are set for October 15 and 22.
The deposition process is a sworn out-of-court testimony, used to gather information during a case’s discovery process. GM executives will be video recorded and overseen by an official court reporter.
To date, Barra claims she was not aware of the ignition-switch defect, which has been linked to 124 deaths and hundreds of injuries. Previous statements have her learning of the decision to recall vehicles by a GM team via phone call two weeks after she became CEO.
Akerson, Barra’s predecessor, has simply told investigators he was never aware of the faulty ignition switch during his time as CEO.
Where is gets messier is Wagoner’s involvement, who was displaced from the automaker by the Obama administration. GM’s internal report found Wagoner may have viewed a presentation in March of 2009, which is said to have included a “backup slide” discussing ignition issues with the Chevrolet Cobalt. The presentation focused on warranty cost issues, not safety, over the ignitions. Wagoner has told investigators he does not recall seeing the slide.
More depositions will be conducted throughout the end of the year involving other GM employees, with many taking place inside the General Motors Renaissance Center.
No Comments yet