Trucks come off the assembly line at GM's Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickup truck plant in Fort Wayne, Indiana, U.S., July 25, 2018. Photo: John Gress Media Inc/Shutterstock.com

Lawyers with Beasley Allen are counsel on two putative class actions against General Moters Co. in Florida and California federal courts filed on behalf owners of certain trucks and SUVs.

The complaints alleged braking system defects in 2014-2018 full-size SUVs and trucks. The actions were filed in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California and the Northern District of Florida.

Beasley Allen, of Atlanta and Montgomery, Alabama, partnered with law firms in both court venues: Cory Watson of Birmingham, Alabama; Kiesel Law of Beverly Hills, California; and Wyly-Rommel of Texarkana, Texas.

Also this week, GM announced a recall for those vehicles. But the lawyers said the recalls won't fix the problem. They said the failure is mechanical, but the recall repair is electronic.

GM did not have an immediate response to the lawsuits.

"While it is good that GM publicly acknowledged the defect and its inherent safety risk, they've misled Americans by implying that they can remedy a mechanical brake failure with an electronic software patch," Beasley Allen's Clay Barnett of Atlanta said in a news release Friday. "Ultimately, the failing mechanical vacuum pump at the heart of the defect should be replaced with a more robust unit."

GM documents posted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration say the amount of vacuum generated by the vacuum assist pump can decrease over time, according to the Beasley Allen lawyers. The pump is lubricated by engine oil that passes through a filter screen before entering the pump. As the vehicle ages, oil sludge and other debris can accumulate on the filter, causing the pump to fail internally. When this happens, the hydraulic braking system in the affected vehicles is seriously compromised, the suits claim. Vehicles may experience brake boost failure, which would require increased brake pedal effort, leading to a hard brake pedal feel, and potentially increased stopping distance, they allege.

Beasley Allen said drivers consistently report a stiff brake pedal that requires multiple times the normal leg force needed to depress the pedal and activate the hydraulic brakes, and some drivers report a simultaneous dashboard alert that the brake assist system requires servicing.

"The irreparable and defective braking system supplied in all of the Class Vehicles features a defective design that is prone to sudden and unexpected loss of vacuum in the brake booster, requiring replacement of the brake booster and/or the system's vacuum assist pump," the complaint said. "When Class Vehicles suddenly and unexpectedly lose vacuum, the resulting brake booster failure makes Class Vehicles difficult to stop: the brake pedal becomes hard, much more force is required from the driver to slow the vehicle, and stopping distance is severely and suddenly compromised. This defective braking system common to all Class Vehicles is a clear safety hazard that was never disclosed to any member of the class prior to purchase."

The lawsuits alleged GM has been aware of the problem since at least 2014, and "should have voluntarily recalled the Class Vehicles long ago."

Beasley Allen has a deep history of litigation against GM. The firm joined Atlanta plaintiff's lawyer Lance Cooper in a renewed lawsuit against the company over an ignition switch defect for Ken and Beth Melton, the parents of Brooke Melton. Discovery in their case led to 30 million GM recalls of cars with the same ignition switch, which was causing vehicles to shut off in traffic. The case also led to many more lawsuits.

The new cases are: Scott Peckerar v. General Motors; 5:18-cv-02153-DMG-SP; filed in the U.S. District Court, Central District of California, and Jason Compton v. General Motors; 1:19-cv-00033-AW-GRJ; filed in the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Florida.