After months of examining claims filed over General Motors’ (GM) faulty ignition switch, the company has announced that it has approved 124 fatality claims.
Additionally, the company approved 275 injury claims, 17 of which were serious. The serious injury claim included those whose injuries resulted in an amputation, permanent brain damage, severe burns, quadriplegia or paraplegia.
About 258 claims involved minor injuries that resulted in hospitalization or outpatient treatment within 48 hours of the accident.
Families who lost a loved one as a result of the faulty ignition switch are expected to receive a minimum of $1 million in compensation. The payout to those with severe injuries will vary on how serious their injuries were while minor-injury claimants may be eligible for compensation ranging between $20,000 and $500,000.
GM set aside $625 million for the compensation fund. The company, however, reports that they denied 3,944 claims, which is about 91 percent of the claims filed.
According to the auto manufacturer, many of the claimants failed to provide adequate evidence. In some cases, claims were submitted for cars that were not part of the initial recall. In other cases, the airbags inflated during an accident, which according to GM, was an indication that the ignition switches were not at fault.
GM still faces 181 wrongful death and injury lawsuits for the millions of vehicles recalled in the U.S. and Canada. By the end of 2014, GM had recalled nearly 30 million vehicles as a result of various defects. The largest recalls were for the faulty ignition switch the company knew about for nearly a decade before recalling affected vehicles.
If you or someone you know how been hurt in a car wreck caused by a defective vehicle part, you may be eligible to file a product liability claim. Our experienced attorneys can help you determine your legal options, and what your next step should be.
For a free claim review, call (717) 888-8888 or fill out an online contact form.