According to the latest announcement by General Motors, the compensation fund set up by the company has finally finished processing the 4,342 claims it received from victims of its faulty ignition switch recall.
So far, 124 deaths and 266 injuries have been attributed to the defective product. The fund has made 280 compensation offers, of which 209 have been approved and six have been rejected.
If you or someone you love was injured or has died because of a defective ignition switch, our product liability lawyers can help you get the compensation and justice you deserve.
Call (817) 920-9000 for a free consultation.
Of the total number of claims received, the company has identified 80 percent as ineligible and 453 as deficient. Those whose claims are deficient have until July 31 to submit supporting documents such as documents of a hospital stay, repair records, photos or other documents to support their claim. Twenty-four of the deficient claims are for deaths alleged to have been caused by the defective ignition switch. The others are injury claims.
GM set aside $600 million for the compensation fund in June 2014 to pay damages to victims who were injured or died because of the faulty switches identified in 2.59 million recalled vehicles. It was found that the company knew about the defect and hid it from the public for more than a decade.
However, GM subsequently also recalled an additional 10 million vehicles for a similar issue. Unfortunately, the countless number of injuries and deaths associated with this larger recall are not eligible for compensation from the fund because the company claims that it recalled the vehicles immediately and made attempts to hide the defect from the public.
The company and the fund have come under scrutiny for its decision to exclude the majority of vehicles recalled for faulty ignition switches.
The Fort Worth personal injury attorneys at Anderson, Cummings & Drawhorn believe that those who are injured because of the negligence of a manufacturer should receive compensation for their suffering. Therefore, we are dedicated to helping victims of faulty ignition switches.
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