St. Louis, MO (PRWEB) October 01, 2014 -- GM’s compensation fund for ignition injury and death claims has now approved 23 death claims, according to a September 29 article in the New York Times.* The number of deaths GM has acknowledged linked to its ignition system defect has been steadily rising since the compensation fund was launched in August of 2014. Lawyers handling GM injury and death lawsuits for The Onder Law Firm provide timely GM lawsuit news updates at GMInjuryLawsuitCenter.com.
Prior to approving claims through the ignition injury compensation fund, GM officials estimated 13 deaths connected to the defect, according to the article. For the past three weeks, representatives of the compensation fund have announced a growing number of approved claims. Last week, the death toll was raised to 21; this week, the number was increased again to 23. According to the NY Times articles, the compensation fund has received a total of 867 claims, 153 of which were death claims. A total of 39 claims, including 16 injury claims, have been officially approved for compensation. A representative for the compensation fund reported that approximately 40 claims have been denied so far. Claims to the GM ignition injury compensation fund may be filed for death, severe injury (including four severe injuries such as quadriplegia, paraplegia, double amputation, permanent brain damage or pervasive burns), or minor injury, according to the fund’s official website.**
The deputy administrator of the compensation fund, Camille Biros, confirmed that more than 30 families will be receiving payment offers in the near future, according to the article. Families that choose to accept compensation through the fund must waive their right to file a GM injury lawsuit, according to the fund’s website.
In addition to handling claims through the official compensation fund, General Motors has begun to face GM injury lawsuits throughout the nation, filed by individuals and family members of individuals who were harmed or killed when a recalled GM vehicle crashed. A GM ignition injury lawsuit was filed in the City of St. Louis on August 20, 2014 by and on behalf of Missouri residents who were harmed and killed in vehicles with faulty ignition switches. The lawsuit, Skyesha Felix et al v. General Motors, LLC, Case No. 1422-CC09472 in St. Louis City Circuit Court, was filed by and on behalf of over fifteen plaintiffs who were involved in car accidents in GM vehicles that were later recalled for the ignition defect, and who sustained injuries or were killed, according to court documents. This GM injury lawsuit has been scheduled for a jury trial beginning July 6, 2015, according to court documents. These plaintiffs may have also filed GM injury claims through the compensation fund; if their claims are accepted, they will have to choose whether to accept the compensation through the fund or pursue their GM injury lawsuit in St. Louis.
Lawyers handling national GM injury and death lawsuit claims believe that individuals and the family members of persons harmed in a GM vehicle subject to the ignition switch recall may be entitled to real compensation through submitting a GM injury lawsuit. Lawyers handling GM lawsuits provide no-obligation case reviews to individuals and families. The GM Injury Lawsuit Center website provides timely ignition lawsuit news updates and information at GMInjuryLawsuitCenter.com.
The Onder Law Firm welcomes GM ignition injury lawsuit inquiries from law firms in regards to handling them or working as co-counsel.
About The Onder Law Firm
Onder, Shelton, O’Leary & Peterson, LLC is a St. Louis based personal injury law firm handling serious injury and death claims across the country. Its mission is the pursuit of justice, no matter how complex the case or strenuous the effort. The consumer and family litigators at The Onder Law Firm have represented thousands of Americans in lawsuits against multinational conglomerates from products liability for manufacture of defective or dangerous products to deceptive advertising practices. Other firms throughout the nation often seek its experience and expertise on complex litigation. It is also a recognized leader in products liability cases such as window blind cord strangulation. The Onder Law Firm offers information from lawyers handling GM injury lawsuits at http://www.gminjurylawsuitcenter.com.
*nytimes.com/2014/09/30/business/deaths-tied-to-flawed-general-motors-ignition-rise-to-23-as-compensation-offers-go-out.html?_r=0
**gmignitioncompensation.com
Michael Gudeman, Gudeman Group, +1 (314) 614-8709, michael@gudemangroup.com
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