Judge denies GM motion to dismiss wrongful death case, trial set for April 2016

A Georgia judge has denied a General Motors motion to dismiss a wrongful death case against the automaker and set a trial date for April 2016.

GM spokesman Greg Martin confirmed the motion was denied.

The family of Brooke Melton, a 29-year-old nurse who died in a 2010 car crash near Atlanta, sued GM alleging that a faulty ignition switch in her 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt unexpectedly shut off the engine, causing her to lose control of the car.

They settled last year with GM for $5 million, but the case exposed how GM let millions of cars stay on the road even after discovering ignition switch flaws linked to at least 13 deaths. The Meltons filed a new complaint in May that GM fraudulently concealed evidence during the first case.