The fund, administered by Kenneth Feinberg, continues to review other applications that blame the defective ignition switches for 178 deaths. When adding submissions related to injuries, the number rises to 1,371, according to a report by fund administrator Kenneth Feinberg that was cited in a Reuters report.
GM has so far only made one revision to its official tally of people killed in accidents that have been blamed on the defect, months ago bringing the count up to 13. The discrepancy has been a focus of criticism, as safety advocates argue that the company is intentionally downplaying the impact of its poor design and years of inaction.
The fund is approximately halfway through its submission window, which started on August 1 and will finish by the end of the year. Additional filings are expected to be submitted in the coming months, as many victims and families are still pushing for compensation via formal lawsuits before applying directly with the GM fund.
The company has already taken a $400 million charge to its quarterly earnings to help pay the settlement offers.
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