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Automaker GM has acknowledged responsibility for two more deaths attributed to GM vehicles with faulty ignition switches.
A victim’s compensation fund – which began on Aug. 1 – that is awarding money for accidents and deaths linked to the GM ignition switch defect has so far received 2,262 claims for injuries and deaths, according to Kenneth Feinberg, the lawyer hired by GM to oversee the victim compensation program.
Forty-two deaths have now been approved as eligible for payments, and there have been 52 approved injuries, according to NBC News. So far, 57 people have received their settlement offers, and 22 have been paid. No one thus far has rejected payment for an accepted case.
Feinberg said he has received 251 death claims and 2,075 injury claims since August. The fund so far has deemed a total of 100 claims eligible for compensation. Claims will be accepted until Jan. 31.
GM allegedly knew about the defect for at least 11 years before beginning recalls on millions of vehicles equipped with the faulty ignition switches.
GM has said it expects to spend $400 million on claims, but said the figure could be as high as $600 million.
Each death claim will be paid at least $1 million, along with $300,000 payments to surviving spouses and children for pain and suffering. In addition, GM will calculate the economic value of the life lost.
The claims stem from GM’s delayed recall of 2.6 million Chevrolet Cobalts, Saturn Ions and other cars with defective ignition switches that can accidentally turn off the engine and disable power steering, power brakes and air bags.
Two class action lawsuits filed on behalf of 30 million GM consumers accuse the company of lying about the safety of its vehicles both before and after GM filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The consolidated complaints allege that more than 60 recalls affecting more than 27 million GM cars and trucks sold in the United States for model years 1997 to 2014 have caused consumers to lose value in their vehicles.
Hundreds of other GM class action lawsuits have also been consolidated in the Southern District of New York, the same place the two most recent consolidated complaints were filed.
The first class action lawsuit covers all GM vehicles sold after the company’s bankruptcy proceedings and accuses the automaker of misrepresentation, concealment and non-disclosure of a numerous serious safety defects.
The second complaint seeks compensation for millions of GM vehicle owners “with serious ignition-related safety defects that can cause the vehicle’s ignition switch to inadvertently move from the ‘run’ position to the ‘accessory’ or ‘off’ position during ordinary driving conditions, resulting in a loss of power, vehicle speed control and braking, as well as a failure of the vehicle’s airbags to deploy.”
GM has recalled 30 million vehicles worldwide in 78 campaigns, including 26.5 million in the United States.
Time magazine reported that slightly more than half of the 2.6 million GM vehicles recalled in early 2014 had been repaired, leaving more than a million potentially defective cars on the road.
To encourage those vehicle owners to have the ignition switched repaired, GM began offering a variety of $25 gift cards to drivers whose cars are fixed by Jan. 1.
Do YOU have a legal claim? Fill out the form on this page now for a free, immediate, and confidential case evaluation. The GM recall attorneys who work with Top Class Actions will contact you if you qualify to let you know if an individual lawsuit or GM class action lawsuit is best for you. [In general, GM ignition switch lawsuits are filed individually by each plaintiff and are not class actions.] Hurry — statutes of limitations may apply.
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If you or a loved one were hospitalized or died due to an automobile accident involving a GM vehicle (including Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Pontiac, Oldsmobile and Saturn models), you may be eligible for compensation. See if you qualify by filling out the short form below.
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