Since Aug. 1, the General Motors ignition switch recall compensation fund has been accepting injury and death claims from those allegedly hurt by the ignition switch defect found in millions of GM vehicles. As of December, GM has offered 100 claimants monetary compensation for injuries and deaths sustained by them or their loved one because of the dangerous GM ignition switch defect.

According to GM’s lead attorney, the total of ignition switch personal injury claims submitted to the GM total 2,236 claims. Of those claims, only 42 deaths and 58 injuries have been approved for compensation.

Of these 100 approved claims, 57 GM ignition switch recall claimants have received settlement offers and 22 have been officially paid by the GM. Not one of the claimants whose ignition switch personal injury claim has been accepted by GM compensation fund has rejected the offered settlement payment. However, according to various reports and numerous GM ignition switch lawsuits, the number of people allegedly affected by the ignition switch defect could be much higher than the current number of claims submitted.

Since the GM ignition switch recall compensation fund was established earlier this year, the number of consumers who claim they were affected by the ignition switch defect has continued to steadily increase. In light of this ever-growing number of possible claimants, GM’s attorney has extended the deadline to submit GM ignition switch claims through Jan. 31, 2015.

According to news reports, the GM ignition switch compensation fund has 445 personal injury and death claims currently under review, with hundreds more pending evaluation. With just a little over a month to go before the claim deadline, it is estimated that hundreds of more consumers affected by the ignition switch defect will submit their claims to the GM compensation fund. It is also likely that GM will offer more ignition switch defect settlements to the cases under review.

GM Ignition Switch Recall

Based on the thousands of GM lawsuits filed during the last year, many GM vehicle owners and lessees claim they were severely injured or loved ones fatally injured by the allegedly defective ignition switch design.

According to consumer claims, the ignition switch found in various GM car models is prone to move from the “on” to “off” position while in drive. Once this occurs, the car becomes virtually impossible to maneuver on the road. Additionally, various important safety features, like airbag deployment, become disabled, leaving drivers and passengers  vulnerable to impact trauma from a potential collision

The recalled vehicles found to have the alleged ignition switch failure and are covered by GM compensation fund include:

• Chevrolet Cobalt, 2005-2010
• Chevrolet HHR, 2006-2011
• Pontiac Pursuit, 2003-2007
• Pontiac Solstice, 2006-2010
• Pontiac G5, 2007-2010
• Saturn Ion, 2003-2007
• Saturn Sky, 2007-2010
• Opel/Vauxhall GT, 2007-2010
• Daiwoo G2X, 2007-2009

Many individuals and family of individuals who were hurt or killed because of the ignition switch defect have filed GM ignition switch lawsuits or have joined GM ignition switch defect class action lawsuits.