Did General Motors have knowledge of auto defects that could have prevented the death of a young mother?

A little over two years ago, Joanna Campbell was a passenger in a GMC SUV when the vehicle rolled over in a roof crush accident along Interstate 90 in Wyoming. Ms. Campbell was partially ejected from the vehicle and eventually succumbed to a severe skull fracture. She left behind two children.

GMC Neglected Data on Passenger Safety

Claiming that GMC ignored several warnings on vehicle safety which could have prevented Ms. Campbell’s unfortunate death, the California personal injury lawyers of Bisnar | Chase have recently filed a wrongful death suit against General Motors, its GMC Truck Division, seat belt manufacturer Takata Restraint Systems, and Wyoming car dealer David Smith Motors.
According to the lawsuit, the 2002 GMC Yukon Denali’s pillars/windshield headers and roof rails fails to adequately protect passengers during an accident. In addition, the vehicle’s window system did not comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and failed to reduce injuries resulting from the impact, such as those which led to Ms. Campbell’s death.
The lawsuit further claims that GMC and their co-defendants had knowledge which could have prevented the death. They sold, marketed and failed to inspect and warn Ms. Campbell and other owners of 2002 Yukon Denalis of its defective and unsafe restraint system, John Bisnar of Bisnar | Chase auto products liability law firm.

Auto Defects Date Back Decades

In fact, as far back as 1970, it was already known that using unsupported tempered glass in side and rear windows was a major factor in occupants’ ejections in side impact and rollover car accidents. General Motors was knowledgeable of a Ford Technical Paper which warned against this and which recommended the use of a more substantial framework and laminated glass in vehicles to protect occupants. General Motors however failed to implement the recommendations, endangering the lives of drivers and passengers in their vehicles. General Motors meantime also had similar information from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Yet, despite having participated in or seen these reports, General Motors and the defendants sold, marketed and failed to inspect the defective vehicles with unsafe restraint systems which eventually led to Ms. Campbell’s death and endangers the lives of other Yukon Denali owners and passengers.

The lawsuit, filed on behalf of Paula Savino for the surviving adult children of Ms. Campbell is now pending in the State of Wyoming District Court, Sixth Judicial District. Please see press release at California Auto Defects Lawyers File Wrongful Death Action Against General Motors, Seat-Belt Manufacturer and Car Dealer