Both sides will seek to end GM ignition switch trial

The first bellwether trial in the General Motors ignition switch litigation met an untimely end Friday, with the Oklahoma man blaming the automaker for his Saturn Ion crash withdrawing his case amid accusations by GM that the plaintiff lied on the witness stand about how he lost his house. “We said all along that each case would be decided on its own merits, and we had already started to show by strong, clear and convincing evidence to the jury that the ignition switch didn’t have anything to do with Mr. Scheuer’s accident or injuries”, the GM spokesman said.

U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman in Manhattan asked GM and lawyers for plaintiff Robert Scheuer to take a “very hard look at whether it’s worth the time and resources to carry this (trial) through to its conclusion”.

Detroit-based GM claimed Scheuer had doctored a federal- government check stub to provide “proof of funds” to move into the family’s new home.

Furman said the latest twist made the case an “outlier” and, as a result, would not necessarily help advance settlement discussions for switch litigation as a whole, a key goal of bellwether trials. Scheuer says he was unconscious for three hours until someone finally found the auto.

Scheuer and his wife both hired criminal-defense attorneys this week after the carmaker accused them of lying.

Judge Furman on Friday said that while the plaintiffs’ lawyers “could have and should have done a better job vetting Mr. Scheuer”, the case seemed like an adequate choice for a bellwether trial until the alleged fraud came to light.

For GM, that’s one down, hundreds to go.

The lawsuit is the first of six set for trial this year. The plaintiffs’ next case, expected to follow the March trial, involves a fatal accident.

Hilliard is expected to continue to pursue the additional cases.

The Scheuers testified the eviction from their home was GM’s fault because Robert Scheuer suffered memory loss after the wreck and misplaced a check for a down payment. They haven’t denied the allegations of forgery and perjury against their client.

“According to the company, Robert Scheuer altered the original check by adding “$441” to the original amount, $430.72, making it appear to be $441,430.72. GM has disputed his claim that the airbags should have deployed in his accident and has argued that Mr. Scheuer’s injuries did not stem from the crash.

Thousands of people have claimed damages linked to the ignition defects, which GM admitted it hid for more than a decade before it began recalling 2.6 million cars worldwide in February 2014.