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Profile of a GM ignition switch defect crash victim (1)- a trusting law student Lara Gass in Virginia

09/25/2014

Parents of Lara Gass are still disturbed by the failure of GM to get the cars with the defective ignition switch off the road till they are repaired. About 21 crash victims frim the GM ignition switch defect and recall are being compensated by a unit setup under Kenneth Feinberg by GM- $1 million or more for each victims family, with 21 identified families. Parents of Gass say they feel conflicted about the compensation, as it does not assuage the grief from the way GM let the ignition switch defect remain unaddressed for the better part of a decade. The car Gass drove was a Saturn Ion, ironically the very Saturn GM spent a decade building as a brand that would address the quality issues of the 1980's. The trust the dad and daughter placed in GM and the girl's innocent affection for the small car, contrasts sharply with GM's attitude that simply informing customers not to have anything other than the car key in the key chain when starting was enough for its customers. Lara's Ion's brakes, power steering and power were all shut off because of the ignition switch defect just when she needed to stop or slow down to avoid hitting a tractor trailer ahead.

Grouped Articles

After a G.M. Recall, a Fiery Crash and a Payout

New York Times 09.25.2014

Hilary Stout, Hilary, Stout

GM’s General Counsel to Retire

Wall Street Journal 10.18.2014

John Stoll, John, Stoll, Joseph White, Joseph, White

11 Years Later, Woman’s Death Is Tied to G.M. Ignition Defect

New York Times 11.10.2014

Rachel Abrams, Rachel, Abrams

GM Ignition-Switch Fund Offers $595 Million to Victims

Wall Street Journal 12.11.2015

Mike Spector, Mike, Spector