Renowned compensation attorney Kenneth Feinberg is scheduled to announce the terms of the terms of the Detroit-based automaker's compensation fund for families of victims and those who have suffered serious physical injuries as a result of faulty ignition switches in millions of vehicles at 10 a.m. in Washington, D.C.
DETROIT, MI- Today is expected to be a pinnacle moment for General Motors Co. and its ignition switch recall defect.
Renowned compensation attorney Kenneth Feinberg is scheduled to announce the terms of the terms of the Detroit-based automaker's compensation fund for families of victims and those who have suffered serious physical injuries as a result of faulty ignition switches in millions of vehicles at 10 a.m. in Washington, D.C.
GM has linked the faulty ignition switches to at least 13 deaths and 54 crashes, but others, including victims' family members and lawyers, say the death toll is closer to 100. GM has said its numbers could increase based on Feinberg's findings.
Feinberg is best known for overseeing millions of dollars in compensation in high-profile tragedies, including the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the Virginia Tech school shooting, the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and the Boston Marathon bombing.
The 2.6 million vehicles, including 2.2 million in the U.S., affected by the ignition switch recall include 2003-2007 Saturn Ions, 2007-2010 Saturn Skys, 2005-2011 Chevrolet HHRs, 2006-2010 Pontiac Solstices, and 2005-10 Chevrolet Cobalt and Pontiac G5 models.
According to documents submitted to federal officials, GM knew about the faulty ignition switches in the early-2000s but did not recall the vehicles until February 2014.
Follow Feinberg's announcement in the comments section below.
Editor's note: MLive automotive reporter Michael Wayland is covering the announcement remotely from Detroit.
Michael Wayland covers the automotive industry for MLive. Email him at MWayland@mlive.com & follow him on Twitter @MikeWayland or Google+.