Attorney
In an update to a previous blog we brought you, General Motors has announced that it has received an additional 33 claims for compensation over the last month regarding its ignition switch recall.
The additional claims bring the total number of cases to 4,345. Of these, GM has received 479 claims for death, 292 for catastrophic injuries and 3,574 for less-serious injuries requiring hospitalization. The numbers come directly from the claims program setup by the manufacturer.
So far, the administrator of the claims program has determined that 57 deaths, nine severe injuries and 85 other claims are eligible for compensation, according to Reuters. The deadline for filing claims was January 31, although GM is still processing claims postmarked before the deadline.
The ignition switch recall involved more than 2 million cars. Fears mounted that the vehicles could potentially have keys accidentally removed from the ignition switch prior to the vehicle shutting down. If you have concerns that your vehicle may have been involved in the recall, you can visit the safercar.gov website to search for information by a VIN.
The Importance of Legal Counsel in a Vehicle Recall Case
As we reported last week and as these statistics show, many people have been killed or catastrophically injured in defective motor vehicle accidents. If you have been hurt in an accident related to faulty GM cars, it may be a good idea to seek legal representation. This is especially true now that the deadline for filing a claim in relation to the faulty ignition switches has passed. You still may be able to seek damages via a lawsuit without attempting to file a claim with the manufacturer.
When our attorneys handle defective products litigation, we attempt to hold manufacturers liable while obtaining fair compensation for clients. It is sad that GM and other manufacturers have put so many recalled and potentially dangerous vehicles on American roadways over the last decade.
Koonz, McKenney, Johnson & DePaolis L.L.P.
Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Virginia Injury Attorneys