The number of eligible death and injury claims being filed in connection with a defective General Motors vehicle ignition switch will certainly increase, an official with the victim compensation fund has said, despite the January 31 deadline passing.
Thus far, the top American automaker has recalled 2.6 million older cars since last year after waiting 11 years to begin the reeling in of vehicles with ignition switch failures that were linked to fatalities.
Claims were due to be filed by the end of January, and eligible death and injury claims will “absolutely” rise, Camille Biros, deputy administrator for the compensation fund, told Reuters.
There have been 51 eligible death claims associated with the ignition switch defection, she said, while catastrophic injuries and less serious injuries stand at eight and 69, respectively.
As of Sunday, 4,180 claims were received, up from 3,068 on January 23, Biros said. January was the heaviest month for claims, she added, with more than 1,600 filed. GM extended the original December 31 deadline by one month to accommodate filers.