General Motors Co. heads to trial today over a defective ignition switch linked to 124 deaths, continuing a legal battle over a safety lapse still dogging the automaker despite a raft of previous settlements, the Wall Street Journal reported today. The ignition-switch case, part of consolidated litigation in a New York federal court, will dredge up for a jury past safety lapses the auto maker has worked to put behind it for the better part of two years. The trial is a reminder that GM still faces potential financial penalties over the faulty switch even after reaching settlements with the U.S. Justice Department, shareholders and thousands of consumers totaling more than $2 billion. Remaining lawsuits and additional government probes loom.
