NEW ORLEANS — A Louisiana woman is suing General Motors, alleging a negligent design and manufacturing defect caused her to be injured in a crash when an airbag failed to deploy.
Dominique Nicole Whitaker of Kenner, individually and on behalf of her minor biological children, KW and NW, filed a lawsuit April 19 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana against General Motors Corporation, alleging the car manufacturer failed to manufacture a road-worthy vehicle.
According to the complaint, on April 28, 2015, she was a front seat passenger in a 2003 Chevrolet Suburban, manufactured by GM, and owned and operated by Seren M. Whitaker, when it was struck on the passenger side by a Ford F-150 truck. The suit says the collision caused her to be thrown through the front passenger side window and onto Veterans Memorial Boulevard in Kenner.
The suit says Dominique Whitaker was knocked unconscious and sustained severe injuries, including traumatic injuries to her skull and face. As a result of the injuries, the lawsuit states, her children have suffered a loss of nurture, guidance and support.
The plaintiff alleges GM designed and manufactured the vehicle defectively and deviated in a material way from its specifications or performance standards for the front passenger side airbag, which failed to deploy in response to an impact.
Whitaker seeks a trial by jury, at least $75,000 in damages, all legal costs and interest allowed by law, plus any additional relief as the law requires. She is represented by attorneys Paul M. Sterbcow, David A. Abramson and Ian Taylor of Lewis, Kullman, Sterbcow & Abramson in New Orleans.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana Case number 2:16-cv-03421