OnStar Settles Wrongful Death Case With Family of Murdered Woman

Could OnStar have saved a woman from getting killed? That is what a victim’s family in South Carolina alleged. Her family first filed a civil claim in 2023, claiming that the company failed to provide real-time location information that could have saved the elderly woman’s life.  Recently, the family reached a confidential settlement with OnStar. The settlement brings an end to claims that the company failed to provide real-time vehicle location information that the victim’s family argued could have helped authorities locate her before she was tragically killed.

In early 2026, OnStar denied any legal responsibility for the woman’s death. In court filings, the company argued that it had no duty to protect her from the criminal acts of a third party and maintained that it could not have prevented the tragedy.

The company described the killing as “senseless” but said the events were already well underway by the time it was contacted. According to its court filings, the woman had been held hostage for several hours, a gun had already been fired inside her home, and she was being forced to drive at gunpoint before anyone reached out to OnStar. The company argued that her death resulted from the actions of the criminal assailant, not from any conduct or service provided by OnStar.

The criminal case against the assailant concluded in August 2023. The man was convicted of kidnapping and murdering the woman, a retired school teacher, and was sentenced to life in prison.  Federal prosecutors said the attacker abducted the woman from her home in Nichols, South Carolina, forced her into her vehicle at gunpoint, and compelled her to drive into North Carolina. The man later returned with the woman to South Carolina, where prosecutors said he fatally shot her behind an abandoned grocery store in Marion County. After the killing, he stole her Buick LaCrosse and later abandoned the vehicle in a wooded area in Marion.

While OnStar agreed to the confidential settlement, the company maintains it was under no obligation to prevent the crime from taking place.

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Wrongful death cases are based on negligent or reckless behavior.

However, wrongful death cases are not cut and dry, which is why skilled and aggressive legal representation is critical to ensure that no stone is left unturned.  Count on a  Columbia wrongful death lawyer from Simmons Law Firm to help with your case. We will work to make sure that responsible parties are held accountable and that grieving families receive the justice they deserve. To schedule a consultation, fill out the online form or call (803) 779-4600.

Source:

wbtw.com/news/grand-strand/conway/onstar-elvington-family-settle-wrongful-death-claim/