The deadline for families to file claims against General Motors for injuries and deaths allegedly caused by defective ignition switches has been extended until Jan. 31, 2015, the compensation fund administrator announced earlier this month. Notice of the extension has been sent to 4.5 million current and former vehicle owners who may have been affected by the ignition switch recall, GM said.
So far, the compensation program, which is designed to compensate families of persons injured or killed as a result of a faulty ignition switch, has approved 39 claims; 40 compensation offers have been written. The program has received nearly 2,000 claims since it began accepting claims on Aug 1. It has denied the claims in which the airbags clearly deployed.
According to Kenneth Feinberg, the program administrator, the deadline was extended “out of an abundance of caution.” He said all families should be aware of the program by now.
The extension came a week after the family of a woman who was killed in an accident caused by a faulty ignition switch came out and told The New York Times that GM didn’t contact them and that the only reason they were aware of the compensation program was because they read about it in an article published by The New York Times.
Critics are now arguing that the automaker hasn’t done enough to contact affected families. But, GM has publicly stated that it is going through great lengths to make sure every eligible family has been notified.
Families who accept compensation offers through the program waive their right to sue GM for additional damages.
For more information or to speak with an attorney at The Flood Law Group LLP, contact us today. We are currently investigating claims involving GM recalls.
