GM SETTLES 4 SUITS OVER PICKUP DEATHS.(BUSINESS)

Byline: Associated Press

ATLANTA General Motors Corp. has settled four lawsuits that claim some models of its pickup trucks with side-mounted gasoline tanks are prone to explode.

One of the cases had brought a $105.2 million verdict, which ranked among the biggest product liability awards in U.S. history. The award was reversed on appeal and the case was to be retried next week.

The automaker settled the four cases after a federal judge in Oklahoma issued an order that undermined its defense in a trial there. GM said the order did not affect its decision to settle the cases.

The judge's ruling meant …