The number of deaths related to the GM ignition switch recall has risen to 27, more than double that of initial company estimates, according Kenneth Feinberg, an attorney appointed to oversee the compensation fund for victims of crashes related to the defect.

As of October 10, Feinberg has approved 27 payouts for claimants to the GM ignition switch settlement program, a significant increase over the original 13 deaths reported at the beginning of the GM ignition switch recall. At least 151 other fatality claims are under review.

As of October 3, 79 claims for quadriplegia, paraplegia, double amputation, permanent brain damage or pervasive burns were filed. Another 886 claims had been filed for injuries that required hospitalization or outpatient medical treatment within 48 hours of the crash.

These numbers are likely to climb as more consumers become aware of the GM ignition switch defect and link it to their loved one’s death. The Center for Auto Safety estimates that the GM ignition switch defect may have caused as many as 300 deaths.

Feinberg will be accepting claims for the GM ignition switch compensation fund through the end of the year.

Overview of the GM Ignition Switch Recall

The GM ignition switch recall began in 2014 and has affected more than 1.6 million vehicles. The GM ignition switches that have been recalled can be found in many different models and makes of cars that came out as early as 2001 and as late as 2014. Certain models of Buicks, Cadillacs, Chevrolets, Oldsmobiles, Pontiacs, and Saturns have been implicated in the GM ignition recall and have led to multiple class action lawsuits.

GM allegedly knew about the the ignition switch defect as early as 200, according to The Wall Street Journal. The flawed ignition switches caused the car keys to turn the car from the “on” position to the “accessory” or “off” position, causing the engine to turn off while the car was in motion. Because the engine would be off, the air bags would not deploy in the event of a car crash.

According to the makers of the defective part, the GM ignition switches are cheap and easy to produce and install. This begs the question of why GM did not address the problem sooner, before a costly recall was even needed.

The GM ignition switch class action lawsuit is seeking to hold the automaker accountable not only to the problems that they have caused, but to the fact that they allegedly knew about the dangerous ignition switch flaw and failed to take adequate measures to prevent death and injury.