Thriving companies operating in free markets are the backbone of American greatness. But as we’ve learned over and over again throughout our history, sometimes the companies that make us great also make choices that favor profits over safety.
Think GM.
As we reported last week, for almost a decade, GM knowingly and willfully sold cars to consumers that GM engineers knew caused serious and sometimes fatal car accidents as a result of faulty ignition systems. What’s more – they knew about the problem, designed and manufactured an inexpensive solution to eliminate the problem, and then told no one. The result – hundreds of people were injured and many were killed in catastrophic car accidents involving these vehicles.
Irresponsible…
General Motors said just this week that it believes at least 12 people were killed by the flawed ignition switch installed in more than 1.6 million of their cars… an acknowledgment the company knows who the victims are.
Incredibly though, GM has yet to reveal who those 12 people are — even to the victims’ families.
Now a new investigation into GM product has been announced. Investigators in this instance are looking at rear-impact car crashes in GM cars from 2003 to 2012. This review comes after a study of federal crash data showed that hundreds of people died in car accidents in GM vehicles because a faulty airbag system failed to deploy, a system GM knew was unsafe but appears to have once again ignored.
Sadly there are many more such stories of corporate negligence that cost people their health or their lives:
- A company discovers its medical device is little more than a bomb waiting to go off in people’s hearts… and decides not to tell anyone. That company: Guidant.
- A pharmaceutical company discovers that its drug causes severe side effects in pediatric patients… and then spends hundreds of millions of dollars marketing it to children. That company: Johnson & Johnson.
- A company discovers bulletproof vests are defective… and then selles them anyway to be worn by law enforcement, the military, and the President of the United States. That company: Second Chance.
- A company discovers rodent droppings are contaminating its food products… and then orders them re-cooked and sold anyway. That company: Peanut Company of America.
- A car company discovers that if it does not spend $11 per car to fix a defect, hundreds of people will be horribly burned… and decides it would be cheaper to let them burn. That company: Ford [1]
As we said last week, defective products kill and injure thousands of people in the United States annually. Each of us must be vigilant about product safety and immediately report dangerous products to consumer safety agencies while holding those that make and sell these products accountable.
If you are ever injured by a defective product, call a qualified Connecticut personal injury lawyer with experience handling defective product cases. A knowledgeable personal injury lawyer can help you fight powerful corporate interests, ensuring that your rights are protected and that you get the justice you deserve.
For almost 60 years, the attorneys at RisCassi & Davis have been working hard to protect our clients.
And we have received significant state and national recognition for our work on defective products. If you’re ever injured by a defective product of any kind and would like a free consultation with one of our personal injury lawyers, please contact us. There is no obligation. And – there is no fee or other costs unless we are successful on your behalf.
[1] American Association for Justice. They Knew and They Failed to…