Texas lawyer sues GM over ignition switch defects on behalf of 658 plaintiffs

A Texas lawyer has sued General Motors on behalf of 658 people injured or killed in crashes allegedly caused by faulty ignition switches.

The lawsuit filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Manhattan names 29 people who were killed and 629 who were hurt. All the crashes occurred after GM left bankruptcy protection in July 2009. That makes them exempt from GM's efforts to shield itself from claims due to crashes that happened before the bankruptcy, attorney Robert Hilliard said.

Hilliard said he wants to file another 248 cases from before the bankruptcy, including 21 deaths.

The lawsuit alleges GM knew about defective switches that can cause engines to stall since 2001, yet it didn't recall any cars until this year. GM would not comment on the lawsuit.