Number of Victims Eligible for GM Payouts Reaches 19
The lawyer hired by General Motors to compensate victims for accidents caused by its defective ignition switch has found 19 death claims eligible to receive payment so far - six more fatalities than the automaker has linked to the problem.
The lawyer, Kenneth R. Feinberg, released the first set of statistics for the closely watched effort on Monday. Since the program began accepting filings on Aug. 1, 125 death claims have been submitted. Those that have not been accepted are still under review or awaiting additional evidence.
In addition, the fund has received 58 claims for serious injuries, called Category 1, and found four so far eligible for payment. Those are for injuries resulting in quadriplegia, paraplegia, double amputation, permanent brain damage or pervasive burns. It has received 262 claims for less serious injuries that required hospitalization or outpatient treatment within 48 hours of the accident, and has approved eight.
Mr. Feinberg and his associates did not disclose the identities of the victims, the details of their claims or amount of monetary payment, though each death payment is expected to be in the millions. He has been given sole discretion by G.M. to determine eligibility for payments and the amount.
Because they did not disclose the identities of victims, it is not clear whether the 19 qualifying death claims included any or all of the 13 previously acknowledged victims.
Mr. Feinberg and his associates are still reviewing the other claims and in many cases have asked for more evidence to support them.
The fund will continue accepting claims until the end of the year, so the numbers are certain to rise.
Since it began recalling cars for the defective switch in February, G.M. has said it knows of 13 deaths caused by the problem, but the chief executive, Mary T. Barra, and other officials have indicated in recent months that the number could grow.
The Feinberg program is an important part of G.M.'s strategy to restore public trust - Ms. Barra has called it the company's civic duty to compensate all accident victims - but also to fend off long and potentially more costly court battles.
Anyone who accepts a payment from the program must waive the right to sue the company over the injury or death. Mr. Feinberg's payment formula, which he disclosed earlier this summer, starts with a base of $1 million for each death, and adds to that a calculation of lifetime earnings lost as well as $300,000 for a spouse and for each dependent.
G.M. has not put a limit on the overall amount it will pay victims under the program.
'General Motors basically has said whatever it costs to pay all eligible claims, they will pay it,' Mr. Feinberg said when he announced the details of the program in June.
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