Audi
BMW
Chrysler/
Jeep
Daewoo
Ford
General
Motors
Honda
Jaguar
Land Rover
Mercedes
Mitsubishi
Nissan
Renault
Toyota
Toyota/
Lexus
Volvo |
9.5.7
GENERAL
MOTORS SUDDEN ACCELERATION INCIDENTS
- Peters v GM
-
Settled in late 2006. Background to case:
- January
2006
:
Missouri
appeals
court
overturns
$80
million
verdict
against
GM. A
Missouri appeals court on
Tuesday overturned
an $80 million verdict against General
Motors Corp. in connection with
a September 2000 driveway accident that
left the driver of an
Oldsmobile in a vegetative state. The
Missouri Court of Appeals for the
Western District ordered a
new trial, saying the circuit judge in the
original case allowed
improper evidence that prejudiced the
jury. The appeals court also said
the woman's husband didn't provide enough
evidence to show he should
receive punitive damages....... In its
decision, the appeals court said
Jackson County Circuit
Judge Marco A. Roldan unfairly prejudiced
the jury by allowing seven
people to testify about their own
accidents involving sudden
acceleration in GM vehicles and by
admitting into evidence 139
complaints of sudden acceleration against
GM. The appeals court said
Peters' attorneys didn't provide enough
evidence that the incidents
were similar to what happened in Constance
Peters' accident....
- December 20
2002 : 1993 Oldsmobile Cutlass
Supreme - $80M Court
Decision December 20
2002 [Peters v GM Case No
01CV20591F (JacksonCo. Mo., Cir. Ct).]
"General Motors Corporation has
been ordered to pay $80M to a
Missouri woman whose car sped out
of control while backing down
driveway....A defect in the car’s cruise
control allegedly caused the vehicle to
speed up when Peters shifted
into reverse, sending her
car 120 ft into a tree." http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1039054548679
- 1991 Chevrolet Caprice The Middle
Tennessee
Times 9th April 2002. "Reports state that
Mrs. Hendrixson backed from a parking space,
then placed the car in
drive and pushed the gas pedal when the
throttle of the vehicle stuck.
Authorities estimate that the vehicle was
traveling between 60 and 70
miles per hour when the woman lost control
of the vehicle and struck
the corner of the DeKalb County Alternative
School ...The Times has
learned that the Chevy Caprice has had
problems with their accelerators
before. Information obtained from The
National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration has shown that the 1991
Chevrolet Caprice has had
numerous complaints regarding the throttle
sticking, which has resulted
in defect investigations of this make and
model of vehicle. The NHTSA
also states that 1994 -95 Chevrolet
Caprice failed to conform to FMVSS No. 124,
"Accelerator Control
Systems." The warnings state that at low
temperatures, excessive
friction can occur in the accelerator pedal
assembly. "If the throttle
return spring fails and there is excessive
friction in the pedal
assembly, the engine speed may not return to
idle. This increases the
potential for a vehicle crash..." Dead
link Feb 7th 2007 : http://www.dixieweb.com/2002/040902.htm
- NHTSA Safety
Recalls
:Sudden Acceleration:
10,000+ 1984-85 Riviera,
Toronado - Nylon bushing in
"Custom Cruise III" units causes stuck
throttle (89V-102); 1,000+ 1990
Riviera, Toronado - Shift control cable
disengages and
causes unexpected movement (90V-164). NHTSA
Recall
- Safety
Research Report
Index -GM Sudden Acceleration
BACK TO START OF
PAGE 9.5 |
|