Death Toll Related To GM Ignition Switch Rises To 56

(RTTNews) - The total number of deaths eligible for compensation related to General Motors Co.'s (GM) defective ignition switches has risen to 56, after four more deaths were found eligible in the past week.

According to the latest report released by Kenneth Feinberg, who was hired by GM to independently administer a compensation program for the victims, it has so far been determined that 56 deaths, 9 crippling injuries such as brain damage and 78 other injuries were eligible for payment.

The total number of claims received by GM Ignition Compensation Claims Resolution Facility also climbed to 4312, including 478 related to deaths.

The report said 513 claims had been deemed ineligible, while 1,388 were under review. Another 1,198 claims have been submitted with no documentation at all.

The Facility began accepting claims on August 1, 2014. The claim filing deadline passed on January 31, 2015, but any claims postmarked by that date are eligible for review. GM has refused to extend the deadline further.

GM has recalled 2.6 million vehicles since February over problems with the ignition switch. The largest U.S. automaker was aware of faulty ignition switches on Chevrolet Cobalts and other small cars for more than a decade, but it didn't recall them until 2014.

The Detroit, Michigan-based automaker is under investigation by U.S. Congress, regulators and the U.S. Justice Department over issues related to the faulty ignition switch.