The number of deaths associated with General Motors’ defective ignition switches has continued to climb, far surpassing the company’s official count.
The latest update issued by fund administrator Kenneth Feinberg notes that 42 death claims have been deemed eligible for compensation, while 46 applications were considered deficient. Another 34 submissions are currently under review.
The latest update issued by fund administrator Kenneth Feinberg notes that 42 death claims have been deemed eligible for compensation, while 46 applications were considered deficient. Another 34 submissions are currently under review.
Interestingly, the fund has only approved a total of 58 injury claims out of more than 850 submissions. Only seven approved applications were related to serious physical injuries, such as amputation or quadriplegia.
GM has not publicly revised its own official death count, which remains at 13. The disparity appears to vindicate claims from safety advocates, some of which have estimated a fatal-accident tally even higher than the victim fund has approved so far.
The company has already set aside $400 million to pay the claims. The program is not capped, however, and investor filings hint at an eventual total around $600 million.
Leave a Reply