From Virginia to Michigan to California, there has been a lot of talk lately about the recent General Motors recalls. The company just announced the suspension of two engineers for their involvement in the recall of more than two million vehicles sold with a defective ignition switch. Not only were these vehicles sold, but a recall was not issued, which resulted in the death of at least 13 people who were involved in a motor vehicle accident.
The CEO of GM made this decision, saying, “This is an interim step as we seek the truth about what happened. It was a difficult decision, but I believe it is best for GM.”
While this may have been a difficult decision for GM, it is one that the company had to make as it continues to receive pressure from outsiders, including those who had loved ones killed in the accident as well as lawmakers.
The two engineers were front and center during recent U.S. Congressional hearings. During the hearings, the CEO noted that one of the engineers appeared to have lied under oath when being questioned related to a lawsuit filed by the family of a victim.
Although GM has decided to take some blame for what happened and suspend the two engineers at the center of the probe, this does not do anything to bring back those who were killed as a result of the defective ignition switch or heal those who were injured. From here, GM still has plenty of explaining to do as lawsuits mount and investigators continue to search for answers.
Source: Automotive News, “GM suspends 2 engineers amid ignition-switch investigation” Tim Higgins and Jeff Green, Apr. 10, 2014