• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechGlobal 500

Texas Judge Tosses GM Ignition Switch Lawsuit

By
Reuters
Reuters
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Reuters
Reuters
Down Arrow Button Icon
August 15, 2016, 6:37 PM ET
GM CEO Mary Barra Testifies To House Hearing On The Company's Ignition Switch Recall
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 1: General Motors CEO Mary Barra testifies before the full House Energy and Commerce hearing room in a hearing entitled "The GM Ignition Switch Recall: Why Did It Take So Long?" April 1, 2014 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. The committee is hearing testimony on a safety defect that's been linked to at least 13 deaths and has sparked a 2.6 million-vehicle recall. (Photo by Allison Shelley/Getty Images)Allison Shelley—Getty Images

A Texas judge has thrown out a lawsuit against General Motors from a woman who blamed a 2012 car crash on a faulty ignition switch that later prompted the company to recall 2.6 million vehicles.

The Aug. 13 order from Judge Robert Schaffer in Harris County, Texas, came in a 2013 case brought by Gloria Alexander that the automaker had selected as the second test trial amid 20 similar cases in that state court over the ignition switch.

The first bellwether trial, picked by plaintiffs’ lawyers, began last week. That case involves a man who had faced criminal charges in connection with a fatal accident he blamed on the ignition switch.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

GM (GM) had argued that Alexander’s case had no expert testimony to support allegations the defective switch caused her 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt to veer out of control and strike a concrete barrier before being hit by a pickup truck.

A lawyer for Alexander, Angel Hagmaier, called the decision disappointing. She noted that GM previously admitted as part of an agreement to end a U.S. criminal investigation that some of its employees knew about problems with the ignition switch for more than a decade before taking action.

If the switch slips out of position, it can cut power to steering, air bags, brakes and other vehicle systems. GM had argued that because the air bags deployed in Alexander’s vehicle, the ignition switch must have been functioning properly at the time.

GM Pays $900 Million to Settle Ignition Claims

The judge did not elaborate in his one-page order on why he granted GM’s motion. A GM spokesman, Jim Cain, said in a statement that the ruling was the “right call.”

The Texas cases represent a small slice of the hundreds of injury and death lawsuits against GM since it began to recall vehicles equipped with the switch in 2014. Federal lawsuits have been consolidated before a judge in New York.

Why General Motors Isn’t Safe from Ignition-Switch Lawsuits

Just one test trial in the federal litigation reached a verdict. Jurors in March found GM was not liable for causing a 2014 crash in New Orleans. Several other test trials have been settled or voluntarily dismissed.

Another federal test trial is set to start in New York on Sept. 12. GM has already paid more than $2 billion in civil and criminal penalties and settlements involving the switch.

About the Author
By Reuters
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
Fortune Secondary Logo
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Fortune Editor-in-Chief Alyson Shontell and Khosla Ventures Founder Vinod Khosla: Graphic for Fortune 500 Titans and Disruptors of Industry podcast. Episode title: "AI and the end of work?"
NewslettersCEO Daily
Famed investor Vinod Khosla predicts free AI labor will lead to an era of few jobs and great abundance
By Alyson ShontellMarch 4, 2026
34 minutes ago
NewslettersFortune Tech
The curious case of Nvidia’s employee stock compensation change-up
By Alexei OreskovicMarch 4, 2026
60 minutes ago
C-SuiteTech
3 questions every CEO needs to ask about the AI jobs doom loom in the wake of Jack Dorsey’s dramatic 40% layoffs at Block
By Diane BradyMarch 4, 2026
1 hour ago
altman
Commentarydisruption
Sam Altman, Jensen Huang and the other AI kingpins only have themselves to blame for the scare rippling through the economy right now
By Kevin ManeyMarch 4, 2026
1 hour ago
Vinod Khosla, wearing a black suit jacket, looks forward.
AIFortune 500: Titans and Disruptors of Industry
OpenAI investor Vinod Khosla predicts today’s 5-year-olds won’t ever need to get jobs thanks to AI
By Sasha RogelbergMarch 4, 2026
2 hours ago
RetailE-commerce
Sea doubles annual earnings, yet profitability worries drag shares down in worst drop in 2 years
By Angelica AngMarch 4, 2026
2 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Economy
Interest on the $38.8 trillion national debt has tripled since 2020, and it already costs taxpayers more than defense and Medicaid
By Nick LichtenbergMarch 2, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Middle East
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard controls a sprawling business empire that dominates the economy
By Jason MaMarch 2, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Tuesday, March 3, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerMarch 3, 2026
21 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Personal Finance
Current price of gold as of March 2, 2026
By Danny BakstMarch 2, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
AI
American schools weren’t broken until Silicon Valley used a lie to convince them they were—now reading and math scores are plummeting
By Sasha RogelbergMarch 1, 2026
3 days ago
placeholder alt text
Middle East
U.S. military gives Iran a taste of its own medicine with cheap copycat Shahed drones, while concern shifts to munitions supply in extended conflict
By Jason MaMarch 1, 2026
3 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.