A Nassau man who says he’s lucky he’s wasn’t seriously injured after his Chevy SUV repeatedly stalled on the Long Island Expressway is the latest “lemon” owner to sue General Motors over its world-wide ignition-switch defect that has been linked to 13 deaths.
Dr. Steven Groman slapped GM with a class-action lawsuit in Manhattan federal court Tuesday alleging that he bought the Chevy HHR new in 2008 based on ads emphasizing the safety of the sport-utility vehicle. But he claims his new ride’s engine shut down — and its steering lost power — four times while driving, including twice on the high-speed LIE. The suit doesn’t cite any accidents.
Groman is the latest to sue GM, which has recalled 2.6 million cars — mostly Chevrolet Cobalts and Saturn Ions — over the faulty switch, which can cause the engine to cut off in traffic, disabling the power steering, power brakes and air bags and making it difficult to control the vehicle.
There have already been 16 similar state and federal suits filed in other parts of the country, including Brooklyn, California, Pennsylvania and Minnesota.
The Minnesota suit was filed on behalf of three teenage girls who were severely injured or killed in a 2006 crash involving a 2005 Chevy Cobalt.
Groman claims in his suit that he repeatedly brought his vehicle back to the Rosyln dealership he purchased it from, but wasn’t notified by the dealer of the ignition-switch defects until last month.
He says he had to change his “commuting habits” by using service roads “and avoided driving on the [LIE] out of concern” that he’d have “another shutdown incident in fast-moving traffic.”
“Out of concern for his safety, Groman thereafter traded in the vehicle at a loss in 2011,” the suit says.
The suit seeks unspecified money damages.
Both GM and Groman’s lawyer, Alexander Schmidt, declined comment.