New York Judge to Hear Lawsuits Against GM

Southern District Judge Jesse Furman will hear lawsuits alleging that General Motors cars lost value because of ignition switch recalls.

The U.S. Judicial Panel for Multidistrict Litigation, sitting in Chicago, made the decision Monday to move the case to New York City. The panel said it knows of 74 related lawsuits in 31 federal courts.

The lawsuits allege that the older small cars dropped in value after the ignition switch recalls were announced starting in February. GM has admitted knowing about the problem for at least a decade before the recalls. Last week, the company said it had let go of at least four members of its in-house legal staff and two directors in the wake of the revelations.

In an order, the panel said that all parties agreed the cases should be centralized but disagreed on where. It opted for the Southern District as the best place because GM's 2009 bankruptcy case was handled there. Furman handled appeals and is familiar with the GM case, the panel noted.

"Judge Furman is an experienced transferee judge with the ability to handle these complex proceedings expeditiously," it said.

Meanwhile, GM has asked Southern District Judge Robert Gerber to declare it immune from the lawsuits by virtue of its bankruptcy settlement.

We believe that obtaining legal satisfaction from those who harmed you shouldn’t require more hardship. That’s why we do everything we can to streamline the process, and we will file a lawsuit on your behalf if necessary. If you or a loved one has been affected by this recall, and you believe it caused an injury, contact Chhabra & Gibbs today by going to www.cglawms.com or by calling this number: 601-948-8005.