General Motors Company (NYSE:GM) asked a Texas Judge on Monday to dismiss a lawsuit filed against the company claiming that the firm had a faulty ignition switch.
The lawsuit accused the automobile maker of installing a faulty ignition switch, which caused a fatal car crash in 2011. GM, in turn, accused the plaintiffs and their lawyers of fabricating the evidence – the car’s key – during the period of the trial. A court filing by GM stated that Zachary Stevens and his parents were the plaintiffs and they collaborated their lawyers to present to the jurors a key attached to a chain together with a few other items. They claimed that the key presented was the one used in the vehicle that was involved in the crash.
GM presented an argument stating that the key presented by the plaintiff was not the key for the particular model involved in the crash. The company also pointed out that it recalled 2.6 million cars in 2014 in connection to faulty ignition switches. The firm also stated that extra weight to the keychains could lead to the switches slipping out of position. Stevens stated that the rotation of the ignition switch caused him to lose control of the car, which in turn slammed into another vehicle killing the driver instantly.
The lawsuit, which Stevens filed in 2015, was the first out of about 20 pending cases against the company to be presented in the Texas State Court. GM also pointed out in the Monday filing that Stevens had previously stated that only a few items were attached to the key during the accident. However, the keychain presented to the jurors had three rings that held additional items, including a gym membership card and souvenir Eiffel Tower, among others.
GM claims that the plaintiff presented fabricated evidence so that their theory of key rotation would hold. This in turn would lead to the acquittal of Stevens from man slaughter charges, which is the root of GM issuing the recall. The automaker now wants the court to dismiss the case on account of the false evidence.