GM was warned by its own lawyers on recall debacle - Jul. 17, 2014

General Motors was warned by its own lawyers at least four times that it risked being hit with severe and costly legal penalties for the way it handled the flawed ignition switch tied to at least 13 deaths, according to a Senate hearing Thursday.

So-called punitive damages are awarded in a lawsuit to compensate plaintiffs beyond their actual losses. Sen. Claire McCaskill, the Missouri Democrat, revealed that these warnings took place between 2010 and early 2013 as she questioned GM general counsel Mike Millikin. She noted that the threat of punitive damages should have been a "blinking red light" for GM (GENERAL MOTORS) officials.

GM was warned by its own lawyers on recall debacle - Jul. 17, 2014