A U.S. district judge ruled in favor of General Motors Co. in a lawsuit against the company over faulty ignition switches, Reuters reported Aug. 7.
Select owners of General Motors vehicles with broken ignition switches have filed legal charges against the German carmaker, saying their cars lost value because of the defect, the news wire said.
According to the report, U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman said the owners, which hail from three "bellwether" states — California, Missouri and Texas, failed to provide sufficient evidence for their claims, making it "impossible" for a jury to weigh damages.
In his decision, Furman said the owners could not seek compensation based on the difference in value between what they paid for their faulty vehicles and the actual value of the vehicles.
The lawyer representing the owners said he may ask the judge to reconsider the ruling, Reuters said. He also reportedly said he was confident he can address the concerns raised by Furman in cases from other states.
The faulty components have been linked to 124 deaths, Reuters said. General Motors has recalled around 2.6 million vehicles since 2014 and has paid over $2.6 billion in penalties and other charges over the defect, which could halt the engine and stop airbags from inflating during crashes, according to the report.
The nationwide litigation before Furman also included over 3,000 personal injury and wrongful death claims, of which a large majority have been resolved or dismissed, the news outlet added.
