GM Ignition Switch Claimed 398 Deaths and Injuries, Says Feinberg
After General Motors’ faulty ignition switch scandal rocked the auto industry in a 2.6 million vehicle recall, claims involving 124 deaths and 274 injuries have been approved to receive payments from GM by its compensation fund administrator Kenneth Feinberg. Approximately 4,342 claims reporting defective ignition switches have been processed to date. The faulty switches, which plaintiffs claim GM knew were flawed but did not recall until ten years later, were prone to slipping out of the “on” position while the vehicle was in use, rendering safety features such as airbags and power steering useless.