Case Update
Keller Rohrback is pleased to share that on August 28, 2024, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit upheld the district court’s class certification order in the Speerly et al. v. General Motors case.
Included in the class are buyers of certain 2015-2019 GMC, Chevrolet, and Cadillac vehicle models with of eight-speed automatic transmissions. The vehicle models include Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Corvette, Chevrolet Camaro, Chevrolet Silverado, Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Sierra, GMC Yukon Denali and GMC Canyon. Drivers have stated that defective eight-speed transmissions can cause their cars and trucks to jolt or hesitate, sometimes to the degree that the drivers feel like they’ve been hit by another car. These defective transmissions—GM’s Hydra-Matic 8L90 or 8L45—create safety hazards that are unacceptable and unreasonably dangerous to Plaintiffs, Class Members, their passengers, and the others with whom they share the road.
The Class Certification Order, issued by the district court in March 2023, analyzed each of the claims from Named Plaintiffs and sided with Plaintiff’s arguments, expert reports, and testimony in most respects. In certifying the Class, the district court noted that there was ample evidence in the record concerning the alleged defects in the 8L transmissions, that GM had identified the “root causes” of the defects, and that the defects pose “a significant safety risk to drivers of the class vehicles.” The district court also noted that there was “substantial evidence in the record that GM had knowledge of the defect from even before the class models were launched.”
Despite knowing about the defective transmissions, GM has not repaired them or taken steps to remedy the dangers they pose. Owners of the affected vehicles should not be forced to continue to drive their defective vehicles or spend their own money to fix GM’s mistakes.
The Sixth Circuit’s order upholding class certification means that this case can move forward as a class action. Along with co-counsel, Keller Rohrback will forge ahead with our efforts to secure relief for Plaintiffs and Class Members.
