When GM Kills People - The 100th Episode Of Lehto's Law

"SteveLehto" (stevelehto)
09/01/2016 at 09:30 • Filed to: None

I’ve picked on Chrysler and Ford lately, so why not General Motors? They popped into the news a week or so ago when the New York Times showed GM knew about the problem with Takata airbags. And used them anyway.

Does that surprise anyone? This is the company with a history of putting deadly products in the stream of commerce and then shrugging when bad things happened.

I know this is true in much of corporate America but GM appears to have raised this to an art form. I guess the real question is: Was it “Old” GM that got away with killing people or is that “New” GM?

And I mention Jarts and the Corvair, just to round out the topic in what is the 100th episode of Lehto’s Law. Who’d have thought I’d stick with it this long?

Here is the audio:

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

And the video:

Follow me on Twitter: !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

Hear my podcast on iTunes: !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

Steve Lehto has been practicing law for 24 years, almost exclusively in consumer protection and !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! He wrote !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .

This website may supply general information about the law but it is for informational purposes only. This does not create an attorney-client relationship and is not meant to constitute legal advice, so the good news is we’re not billing you by the hour for reading this. The bad news is that you shouldn’t act upon any of the information without consulting a qualified professional attorney who will, probably, bill you by the hour.

DISCUSSION (16)

jimz > SteveLehto
09/01/2016 at 09:39

You know what pisses me off? All save one of the fatalities from Takata airbags so far has been in Honda vehicles (the other one was a Ford Ranger.) We know that Honda knew about this defect as far back as 2004 and said nothing.

Why are people trying to pin this on GM? Safe “whipping boy?” GM didn’t force Takata to use ammonium nitrate, and they didn’t force Honda, BMW, Daimler, Chrysler, Ford, and everyone else to source them. So why aren’t we savaging the company who stayed silent while people actually died in their cars from this defect?

Steve, usually I’m on your side, but in this case I’m not. And I’m really surprised the NY Times took this stance too.

SteveLehto > jimz
09/01/2016 at 09:41

Did you listen to the podcast? It’s 20 minutes long and I posted this piece 8 minutes ago.

jimz > SteveLehto
09/01/2016 at 09:42

not yet, but I’m kind of on a hair trigger on this thanks to the NY Times story.

SteveLehto > jimz
09/01/2016 at 09:44

It’s funny because in the podcast I joke about people reacting to things they have not read (i.e., “Unsafe at Any Speed.” I’ve had dozens of people tell me they hate the book. But not one of them had read it.)

What I say in the podcast is 100% accurate and correct. If you disagree after you have heard it, please let me know.

jimz > SteveLehto
09/01/2016 at 09:53

It’s funny because in the podcast I joke about people reacting to things they have not read

well, now you have another example :) I will admit when I’m wrong.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > SteveLehto
09/01/2016 at 10:02

He’s from the future

Urambo Tauro > SteveLehto
09/01/2016 at 10:16

For a long time, I shrugged each incident off as an example of manufacturer mistakes, and thought that adding those incidents together shows a learning process for the manufacturer. But as I get older, it’s becoming more clear how ruthless automakers have become in minimizing cost and maximizing profit. And as for that learning process? That’s all about money, too.

That famous speech in Fight Club about how recalls are determined felt like a mere conspiracy theory at first, but now I’m running out of reasons to believe that that’s not exactly how decisions are made.

jimz > jimz
09/01/2016 at 10:27

especially when I’m one who frequently points out to others that Unsafe at Any Speed wasn’t specifically about the Corvair, and the infamous “Pinto Memo” wasn’t actually about the Pinto.

SpecedOut > SteveLehto
09/01/2016 at 11:30

Unrelated to the article but mildly interesting: The warning sticker on the lead photo is on most of the single belt drive guards at the UPS facility I used to work at. I haven’t worked there for over six years, but I recognized that sticker the second I saw it.

SteveLehto > SpecedOut
09/01/2016 at 11:34

YES! I took that pic with my phone at a UPS location. I thought the graphic was funny and thought it seemed appropriate today.

WiscoProud > SteveLehto
09/01/2016 at 13:06

I find it ridiculous that a company can file for bankruptcy, create a new entity, and complete absolve themselves from liability that occurred under the prior company. Its the same company. You have the same employees, the same facilities, the same structure.

Ideally, a formal dissolution would be required to absolve legal liability. If someone purchases the assets of the prior company, then sure they're not responsible for the legal issues, but they are also forming a new company from the ashes of the old.

SteveLehto > WiscoProud
09/01/2016 at 13:37

And they shouldn’t be allowed to hide or lie about their liabilities for the old company either. Which is clearly what they did here. And they got away with it.

WiscoProud > SteveLehto
09/01/2016 at 13:41

Agreed. I find it disgusting that its a valid defense. I know bureaucracy isn't known for its common sense, but sometimes its just so glaring.

Standard_Deviation > Urambo Tauro
09/02/2016 at 09:41

I wonder if there’s any way to find statistics on which cars insurance adjusters buy.

You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much > SteveLehto
09/02/2016 at 10:44

Are the Corvair tire inflation recommendations the reason that cars now have the recommended tire inflation pressures permanently mounted on the door jambs?

SteveLehto > You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much
09/02/2016 at 12:16

It wouldn’t surprise me if that was something that inspired it. I remember when they did that wacky tire inflation recommendation with the Ford Explorers too - with the Firestone/Bridgestone recall.