HOUSTON — A state district judge has appointed Houston lawyer Richard Mithoff to the executive team of lawyers who will lead all Texas consolidated state court cases involving the General Motors Ignition Switch litigation.
State district Judge Robert Schaffer of the 152nd District Court in Harris County appointed the plaintiff’s team of five lawyers, which included Mithoff, Bob Hilliard, Mark Lanier, Jeff Wiggington and Scott West. Hilliard and Lanier were appointed co-lead counsel.
All pretrial proceedings in the product liability cases filed against GM in state court throughout Texas have been consolidated by the Texas Supreme Court to be heard before Judge Schaffer.
Mithoff, of Mithoff Law in Houston, has successfully represented clients in many national cases and lead plaintiffs’ teams in litigation against Breakstone/Firestone involving rollovers due to defective tires; representing Texas counties (and specifically Harris County) against major tobacco companies for medical costs incurred by patients at county hospitals due to smoking; and representing families of elderly victims who died in a fiery bus explosion as they were fleeing Hurricane Rita.
The Texas cases are separate from federal multi-district litigation pending before U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman in the Southern District of New York, but they will be coordinated through Furman.
GM has recalled vehicles with the faulty ignition switch, including:
- Buick Lacrosse — 2005-2009
- Buick Lucerne — 2006-2011
- Buick Regal LS & GS — 2004-2005
- Cadillac Deville — 2000-2005
- Cadillac CTS — 2003-2014
- Cadillac DTS — 2004-2011
- Cadillac SRX — 2004-2006
- Camaro — 2010-2014
- Chevrolet Cobalt — 2005-2010
- Chevrolet HHR — 2006-2011
- Chevrolet Impala — 2000-2014
- Chevrolet Malibu — 1997-2005
- Chevy Monte Carlo — 2000-2008
- Daewoo G2X — 2007-2009
- Oldsmobile Alero — 1999-2004
- Oldsmobile Intrigue — 1998-2002
- Opel/Vauxhall GT — 2007-2010
- Pontiac G4 —2005-2006
- Pontiac G5 — 2007-2010
- Pontiac Grand Am — 1999-2005
- Pontiac Grand Prix — 2004-2008
- Pontiac Pursuit — 2005-2006
- Pontiac Solstice — 2006-2010
- Saturn Ion — 2003-2007
- Saturn Sky — 2007-2010
Richard Warren Mithoff, Warner V. Hocker, Janie L. Jordan.
October 27, 2014