Death tally linked to GM ignition switch hits 100

DETROIT -- The death toll from General Motors' defective ignition switch stands at 100, according to the outside attorney handling victims' claims for GM.

Attorney Kenneth Feinberg had approved 100 death claims received by his office as of Friday, three more than a week earlier.

Last year, GM said for months that it knew of 13 deaths related to the faulty switch used in Chevrolet Cobalts, Saturn Ions and other older small cars. The switch can slip out of the run position if jostled or weighed down by a heavy keychain, cutting power to the steering, brakes and airbags.

Feinberg also has approved 184 injury claims linked to the defect. That includes 12 "catastrophic" injuries, which could include paralysis, amputation, severe burns or brain damage.

GM hired Feinberg last year to independently compensate victims after the automaker recalled 2.6 million vehicles with faulty ignition switches. A person seeking compensation must prove that the airbag did not deploy, and must show that the defective switch was the primary cause of the crash.

GM spokesman Jim Cain said there are "many reasons" why GM's original fatality number was so much lower than Feinberg's growing tally.

He said GM's estimate of 13 fatalities was based on the facts and circumstances that engineers had available of each crash, including data from each vehicle's on-board computer.

In contrast, the Feinberg's process "is a settlement program. It is designed to settle claims, rather than make rigorous engineering or legal judgments about the definitive causes of accidents." Cain said GM plays no role in Feinberg's determinations, and that the attorney is not required to explain his decisions to GM.

Feinberg also is using broader criteria to determine which crashes were linked to the defect. For example, GM’s considered only front-impact crashes in which airbags didn’t deploy. Feinberg’s protocol includes side-impact crashes and other types of accidents.

The deadline for victims to file claims was Jan. 31. Feinberg's office has said its review likely will last until summer.

Of 4,342 total claims submitted, 626 remain under review, according to a weekly report posted on GM's victims' claims Web site. Another 1,315 have been found "deficient," which means claimants still can submit further documentation to support the claim.