A collision is not the only threat to vehicle passenger safety. In Connecticut and elsewhere, passengers and pedestrians can be harmed through reckless or negligent behavior that does not involve a crash.
Wrongful death survivors face legal obstacles
The circumstances that give rise to a wrongful death lawsuit can vary widely. Negligence may take lives in surgery, in a drunk driving accident, at an unsafe workplace, in a boating accident, during roadside construction or even on a playground. Unsafe equipment, defective drugs or a driver texting instead of watching the road are among the many causes of death that might lead to legal action.
GM may pay record penalty for defect
The U.S. Justice Department has found criminal wrongdoing in General Motors' failure to disclose a vehicle defect related to more than 100 fatalities. GM is negotiating a financial penalty with USDOJ which may set exceed the $1.2 billion paid by Toyota in 2014 for concealing unintended acceleration problems in its cars. Former GM employees are also under investigation and could face criminal charges.
