MONTGOMERY – McCutcheon & Hamner, P.C., and Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C., have filed a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of the Estate of Aubrey Wallace Williams. Ms. Williams, a 32-year-old mother of two, was fatally injured on Dec. 4, 2013, while driving her 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt on Alabama Highway 64 in Lauderdale County, Ala. While operating her Cobalt, the ignition switch failed, resulting in a complete loss of power. This caused the vehicle to become uncontrollable, cross into the westbound lane and collide with an oncoming 18-wheeler log truck. Ms. Williams was killed instantly. Representing the Plaintiff is Thomas W. McCutcheon, Jr. and Joel R. Hamner of the firm McCutcheon & Hamner, P.C., in Florence, Ala., together with Beasley Allen lawyers Jere L. Beasley, J. Cole Portis and Richard D. Morrison of Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C. in Montgomery, Ala.
The lawsuit is related to a recent recall announced by General Motors (GM) that addresses an ignition switch problem that allows the 
key to unintentionally slip from the “run” to “off” or “accessory” position while the vehicle is being operated. The ignition defect can cause the sudden loss of engine power, braking and steering, creating a hazardous emergency situation.
McCutcheon & Hammner attorney Tom McCutcheon says, “The inaction on GM’s part is intolerable. They have been aware of the problem for over a decade and were able to correct the issue, and they chose to do nothing. GM’s inaction put hundreds, if not thousands, of people in very dangerous situations. There is no refuting this fact. GM had complete disregard for the safety of those who drove their vehicles and they must be held accountable.”
GM recalled about 780,000 2005-07 Chevrolet Cobalt and Pontiac G5 vehicles on Feb. 13. Twelve days later, it expanded the recall to include an additional 590,000 model-year 2003-07 Saturn Ion, Chevy HHR, Pontiac Solstice, and Saturn Sky vehicles. Court documents and other evidence reveal that GM knew about the ignition switch problem as early as 2001. However, GM rejected several design changes and solutions that were recommended by its own engineers on numerous occasions because of the cost and the time it would take to make the changes. The company says it has linked 31 crashes and 12 deaths to the faulty ignition switch, but a new study commissioned by the Center for Auto Safety indicates the death toll could be as high as 303.
Defendants named in the lawsuit are General Motors LLC, Delphi Automotive Systems, LLC; Delphi Automotive PLC; Delphi Automotive LLC; Long-Lewis Ford of the Shoals, Inc.; and Champion Chevrolet, Inc. The lawsuit was filed in the Circuit Court in and for Lauderdale County, Ala.
