— A General Motors tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) and wheel lawsuit alleges defects caused the deaths of three people in Texas.
The $100 million products liability and wrongful death lawsuit alleges GM has known about the defects but has failed to order a recall.
On September 2, 2020, Maria Zamora was driving south on FM 803 in Los Fresnos, Texas, with her two daughters and her three grandchildren, ages 3, 4 and 6.
The family was on their way to register the children for school when Griselda Solis de Calixto, who was driving north on FM 803, lost control of her 2008 GMC Yukon.
The lawsuit says the Yukon suffered a left rear tire blowout that caused Mrs. Calixto to lose control of the Yukon, veer into the southbound lane of traffic and collide head-on with the Zamora vehicle.
According to the lawsuit, all passengers in both vehicles sustained catastrophic injuries and three passengers, Mrs. Zamora and two of her grandchildren, were killed.
The lawsuit was filed by the family of Maria Zamora and on behalf of the 2008 GMC Yukon driver, Griselda Solis de Calixto.
The GMC Yukon was allegedly equipped with four GMC Z88 EXC Hybrid HP2 cast aluminum wheels, and the Yukon was also equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system.
The lawsuit claims the tire blowout was caused by defects in the wheels and a defective tire pressure monitoring system.
"The wheel defect allows air to escape from a tire, which can in turn lead to a rapid deflation event and tire blowout. As captured by the onboard computer, the defective TPM sensors failed to warn Mrs. Calixto of the low tire pressure caused by the defective wheel." — GM lawsuit
The GM wheels are allegedly prone to corrosion which allows air to escape from the tires, and defective TPMS sensors allegedly fail to warn a driver when the tire pressure is low.
The lawsuit says the tire pressure system and the wheel were defective and dangerous from the time GM designed and built them.
In addition to General Motors, the lawsuit also includes El Guero Auto Parts which sold the aluminum cast wheel to the GMC Yukon owner.
The GM wheel and TPMS lawsuit was filed in Cameron County, Texas.
The plaintiffs are represented by Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner, the Karam Law Office, and the Law Offices of Jesse Contreras.