A panel of federal judges heard arguments this week on where to merge 90 ignition-defect suits against General Motors Co., as lawyers for car owners claimed to know of many more related deaths than the 13 acknowledged by the automaker, Bloomberg News reported yesterday. So far, New York and California courts are the lead contenders. Corpus Christi, Texas, lawyer Rudy Gonzales has claimed to know of at least 60 deaths related to the defect, but has not provided the seven-member panel any evidence. The defect causes ignition switches in some cars to shut off while the vehicles are being driven, disabling power steering and preventing airbags from deploying upon impact. The judges will decide where claims for economic losses associated with some of the 2.59 million recalled cars will initially be heard.
