The deadline to file claims for General Motors Corporation’s faulty ignition-switch compensation program has been extended by one month to January 31, 2015. The notice of extension has already been sent to approximately four and a half million current and prior owners of eligible vehicles. An additional one month extension is being implemented “out of an abundance of caution”, the program’s administrator, Kenneth Feinberg said.
Last week, a car-safety advocate urged a more involved approach to finding cases of injury or death due to faulty ignitions switches. Clarence Ditlow, executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, said in a letter to Feinberg that he should expand outreach efforts and scour federal car-safety databases for accidents in recalled vehicles to determine whether the switch was to blame for even more injuries or deaths. The GM Ignition Compensation Claims Resolution Facility program, which began accepting claims on August 1, 2014 and has received 1,851 claims for deaths and serious injuries linked to the switch as of November 7, 2014.
Additionally, Arizona is Suing GM – Accusing It of Concealing Safety Defects
Arizona has filed a lawsuit against General Motors, claiming that the automaker knowingly put the public at risk by concealing safety defects to avoid the high cost of recalls. Arizona was seeking an estimated $3 billion from GM, The New York Times has reported.
Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne stated that civil penalties could be up to $10,000 per violation. Hundreds of thousands of “unsuspecting” car owners and lessees had been driving unsafe vehicles, he said in a statement.
GM has stated that: “We have reviewed the complaint filed by the State of Arizona. It misrepresents the facts, the performance of our vehicles and our work to ensure the safety of our customers. We intend to vigorously defend ourselves.” GM said it was committed to recalling vehicles proactively whenever a safety issue is identified. GM has been nailed by a slew of lawsuits this year since announcing the recall of 2.6 million vehicles because of faulty ignition switches that may cause them to slip out of position, cutting power to air bags, steering and brakes.
These recalls are affecting millions of vehicles. Approximately 300,000 of the vehicles recalled this year were registered in Arizona, the New York Times reported.
The Attorney General stated that the case is the first filed by a U.S. state against GM for its alleged role in suppressing knowledge of defects and not recalling vehicles in a timely manner.
Additional information on GM Ignition Compensation Claims Resolution can be found here: http://www.gmignitioncompensation.com/. Parrish Law Firm is prepared to help you should you need our assistance regarding this.
The Parrish Law Firm Personal Injury – Accident Attorney works with Virginia and Washington, D.C. Metropolitan-area residents, who have been injured as a result of a faulty and/or recalled General Motors (GM) vehicle and are looking for fair treatment and compensation. Contact us today for a free case consultation or call us at 703-906-4229.
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