The legal fight has begun over the proper venue for dozens of lawsuits filed over General Motors Co.’s recalls for ignition-switch defects.

Plaintiffs lawyers, most of whom have filed class actions on behalf of consumers, have filed motions before the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation to coordinate nearly 60 lawsuits in various districts in California, New York, Michigan, Texas, Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio, Illinois and Louisiana.