DETROIT, MI (AP)-- The deadline for victims of crashes caused by faulty General Motors ignition switches has been extended for a month as the death toll rose to 33.
Kenneth Feinberg, who is administering GM's compensation fund, announced Sunday night that the new deadline is January 31, 2015. In a web posting on Monday, Feinberg said he has determined that 33 death claims are eligible for payments by the fund. That's up from 32 last week.
GM came under fire last week because the family of a Connecticut woman who died in a 2003 crash had not been notified that her crash had been linked to a faulty switch, even though GM knew for years. The family's lawyer and a U.S. senator called on GM to extend the deadline beyond December 31.
