Kansas City, Mo ? A trial date has been set in the wrongful-death lawsuit filed against General Motors Corp. by the mother of the late Kansas City Chief Derrick Thomas and the mothers of his children.

Gary C. Robb, the attorney for Thomas’ family, said lawyers in the case agreed Friday to set July 7, 2003, as the trial date.

Thomas died in February 2000 of complications after being injured in a traffic accident that left him partially paralyzed.

Thomas’ mother, Edith Morgan, and the mothers of Thomas’ seven children sued General Motors and a suburban Kansas City auto dealership in October 2000, claiming the faulty design of Thomas’ 1999 Chevrolet Suburban contributed to the crash.