General Motors has announced that it will pay millions of dollars to families of victims who have been severely injured or killed in accidents caused by defective ignition switches.

Kenneth Feinberg, a compensation specialist hired by GM, indicated the ignition switch settlement plan would provide compensation ranging from $20,000 to several million dollars to anyone who can show they were injured in a crash involving one of the 2.6 million vehicles subject to the GM ignition switch recall. Claimants must be able to show that the vehicle’s air bag failed to deploy in the accident.

Lawyers representing crash victims allegedly related to the GM ignition switch defect have sought to reopen their cases against the company following revelations that GM improperly hid information about the problem. Under the terms of the new ignition switch defect settlement, GM has agreed to pay for all eligible claims. The company could potentially pay out billions of dollars in compensation from the ignition switch settlement program.

Claimants who have already received payment from earlier ignition switch settlements may be eligible for additional compensation under the new GM settlement. The amount of compensation will be based on a number of factors, including the extent of the victim’s injuries, medical expenses, age, earning potential and amount of time spent in the hospital following the accident.

According to Feinberg, GM has gathered evidence of 3,500 deaths and injuries that may be related to the ignition switch defect, but the claims have not yet been verified to see if they meet the requirements for compensation under the new GM settlement plan. Any contributory negligence, such as driving while intoxicated or texting while driving, will be considered irrelevant under the compensation plan.

GM has established the website www.GMIgnitionCompensation.com to provide details about the ignition switch settlement program. According to the website, all claims submitted for compensation under the GM settlement must be postmarked no later than Dec. 31, 2014.

GM has issued recalls for millions of vehicles due to an ignition switch defect that can cause engines to unexpectedly shut off if the ignition switch shifts from the “run” to the “accessory” position while driving, causing airbags to fail during a crash.

The GM ignition switch defect has been blamed for at least 13 deaths, but legal experts and highway safety organizations say that there have been potentially hundreds, if not thousands, of deaths and injuries related to the ignition defect.

Join a Free GM Recall Injury Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you or a loved one were severely injured or died in an automobile accident related to the GM ignition recall, you may be eligible to participate in the class action lawsuit and pursue compensation. The GM recall class action lawsuit will attempt to hold the automaker accountable for manufacturing and selling defective vehicles and failing to address safety flaws that endangered hundreds of thousands of customers. See if you qualify now at the GM Ignition Switch Recall Class Action Lawsuit Investigation.