General Motors (GM) has recalled millions of vehicles equipped with faulty ignition switches that may shut the engine off during driving, which in turn may prevent the airbags from inflating in the event of a collision. GM itself has linked 31 crashes and 13 deaths to the malfunction.<\/p>\n
Multiple ongoing investigations, including a federal criminal probe, are asking whether the company intentionally concealed the problem and, if so, how long executives knew about it. GM acknowledges that engineers proposed a fix in 2004 and 2005, but the company says upper management only became aware of the problem last year.<\/p>\n
Now, some victims and their families want prosecutors to go after the individuals at the company responsible for the delays and alleged coverups. The Associated Press quoted Leo Ruddy, whose daughter died in a recalled Chevrolet Cobalt, saying that prison sentences are the only way to protect the public from corporate negligence.<\/p>\n