Providers and Administrators in blue logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

GM Ignition Compensation Death Claims Rise to 49

January 20, 2015
2 min to read


General Motors’ ignition compensation fund said Monday it has approved 49 death claims, four more than the previous week, along with five new injury claims, reported The Detroit News.


In total, GM compensation adviser Kenneth Feinberg has approved claims for 49 fatalities and 72 injury claims linked to defective ignition switches through Jan. 16, his office said Monday. Of those, seven are for very serious injuries and 65 are for minor injuries.

Ad Loading...


The number of death claims rose to 311, up eight, and serious injury claims rose to 207, up five. Feinberg has declared 320 ineligible, including 49 death claims, while 857 claims are still under review and 763 have been submitted without documentation.


Last month, Camille Biros, the deputy administrator of the compensation fund, said it has made 65 compensation offers and 41 have been accepted. None have been rejected.


GM set up the fund to compensate those hurt or the families of those killed in 2.59 million now-recalled Chevrolet Cobalts, Saturn Ions and other cars with defective ignition switches that can inadvertently turn the engine off and disable power steering and air bags.


The automaker has said it expects to spend $400 million on claims, but said it could rise as high as $600 million. Asked if GM expected that figure to rise, GM CEO Mary Barra said earlier this month that the company hadn’t changed its guidance.


In May, GM paid a record $35 million fine to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for the ignition switch recall that was delayed by nearly a decade, and agreed to up to three years of intense oversight by the safety agency.

Ad Loading...


The delayed recall has prompted investigations from the Justice Department, Congress, 48 state attorneys general, the Securities and Exchange Commission and U.S. and Canadian regulators. Barra fired at least 15 people in the aftermath of a scathing internal report written by an outside law firm and is searching for a new general counsel. GM made significant changes to its safety recall review process in the wake of the recalls.


In November, Feinberg recommended and GM agreed to extend the deadline 30 days until Jan. 31 — a month later than planned — as GM sent 850,000 letters to newly registered owners and others notifying them of the program.


Feinberg has said it could take six months to complete the review of all applications once the final claims are submitted, meaning it may not be until summer before the final tallies are known.

More Industry

Line graphic showing week-over-week wholesale auto price changes
Industryby StaffApril 22, 2026

Black Book: Weekly Market Update

Wholesale auto conversion rates dropped slightly as auction buyers proved picky last week, analysts observed.

Read More →
pavement with car and charger wrapped around it painted on
Industryby Lauren LawrenceApril 16, 2026

EV Battery Cycle Life at Risk

Fast charging of electric vehicles provides a solution for range anxiety, but it also poses a risk to battery cycle life due to increased temperatures, according to an EV supply chain data provider.

Read More →
Photo of exterior facade of Beardmore Chevrolet store
Industryby Hannah MitchellApril 14, 2026

Founding Family Sells Nebraska Dealerships

Expanding Midwest automotive group picks up three stores as part of the robust transaction activity early this year.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Up-close photo of car battery
Industryby Hannah MitchellApril 13, 2026

Automaker Increases Parts Recycling

Stellantis is adding a third end-of-life vehicle dismantling facility to feed its growing reuse business sparked in large part by autos’ growing lifespans.

Read More →
Photo of white 2026 Ford Bronco on a sandy beach
Industryby Hannah MitchellApril 10, 2026

March New-Vehicle Sales Don’t Reflect War

Cox Automotive data shows Americans doubled down on big-is-better despite price increases. Slightly higher incentives helped fuel the demand.

Read More →
Photo from the rear of the XC60 SUV
IndustryApril 8, 2026

Volvo to Shift Some EV Production to U.S.

The automaker says its movement of some electric-vehicle work to the S.C. factory is part of a more tailored product focus. It also plans to add a new hybrid model to the plant’s itinerary.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Bar graphic depicting week-over-week change across the various vehicle segments
Industryby StaffApril 7, 2026

Black Book: Weekly Market Update

Last week's wholesale automotive auction activity continued in a healthy mode, though buyers practiced selectivity.

Read More →
red car at a gas station being filled with gas. Efficiency Drives Demand. Providers and Administrators logo
Industryby Lauren LawrenceApril 7, 2026

Gas Prices Driving Consumer Interest

CarGurus’ first quarterly review of 2026 shows that affordability concerns are continuing to drive consumer purchases with a shift to more fuel-efficient options.

Read More →
Blurred photo of red car moving down a road
Industryby Hannah MitchellMarch 31, 2026

Automakers Have More Tricks Up Their Sleeves

JD Power analysts see auto retail faring this year’s storms well through various means, though it acknowledges conditions are challenging to accurately predict.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
background view of Washington D.C. with the capitol building and cherry trees. Text says 'What's the Cost?' with two diverging arrows and the Providers and Administrator's logo
Industryby Lauren LawrenceMarch 31, 2026

Insurance Rates Continue to Fall

Car insurance premiums have continued to decline so far this year, the overall national average settling at $138 per month in March, according to Insurify data.

Read More →