The claims adjuster for Vanguard contacting GM acknowledged that the cause of the crash was unknown but noted that the details of the crash warranted the automaker opening a claim and inspecting the model for potential defects. Bloomberg recovered these documents with a Freedom of Information Act request. Warranty records, call transcripts and police reports revealed that Enterprise also pressed GM about potentially defective air bags after the rental company purchased Vanguard’s brands in 2007.
Hertz, Avis and Budget all experienced collisions involving Chevrolet Cobalts that were a part of each of their fleets. An industry consultant claimed rental car companies were analogous to the canary in the coalmine. Files recovered by reporters uncovered exchanges between the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and GM dating back to 2005. The eight-year period of exchanges between the federal agency and automaker focused primarily on faulty airbags and vehicles stalling.
Motorists who suffer injuries because of a defective part may be able to collect compensation by seeking a personal injury claim. Injured parties may be eligible to receive restitution that could help account for medical costs, vehicle repairs or lost income related to the car accident. Lawyers may be able to prove the manufacturer or dealership was negligent for the damages by working with industry experts, local police and reconstruction specialists.
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, “Rental-car companies pushed GM on fatal crashes before recall“, Jeff Plungis and Tim Higgins, July 31, 2014
