Defective products made by the car conglomerate General Motors have been linked to at least thirteen deaths and countless injuries. Now, GM says it has a plan for paying back the victims and victims' families for the accidents caused by the defective products. The component in question, a faulty ignition switch, has proven to be the source of the ten year cover-up, which recently came to light, just a few months ago, after a former GM worker-turned-whistle blower admitted GM's knowledge and negligence of the issues surrounding the ignition switch.
GM says it expects its new program to begin doling out victim compensation beginning the first of August; however, the amount each victim and/or family will get is not yet being specified. GM says that will be figured out over the next few weeks. GM has hired "compensation expert" Kenneth Feinberg–the man who handled the September 11th Compensation Fund, Boston Marathon bombing funds, and BP oil spill funds–who will be in charge of allocating the available monies. When asked about the project, Mr. Feinburg said that he has his work cut out for him.
In a pseudo-admission of guilt just yesterday, a spokesperson from General Motors said that the recall took so long because its employees saw the product defect as a customer satisfaction problem and not a safety issue. Mr. Feinburg has been with GM since April and he says that he will be using some of the same skills he utilized at other positions for his new contract at General Motors.
GM's CEO told reporters on Thursday morning that a U.S. attorney on the case found a "pattern of incompetency and neglect" and not a cover-up. Skeptics wonder how much the U.S. attorney's "findings and skittishly made statement has to do with the government in GM's pockets and vice versa. This came after a seemingly heartfelt delivery about "doing the right thing for those who were harmed" and making sure everything possible is done in the future to ensure a problem like this never happens again.
Mr. Feinberg refuses to comment about any lawsuits that might be taking place, class action or otherwise, but said that his new plan is entirely voluntary. Personal injury attorneys overwhelming agree that whatever the payout is for this "voluntary program" will be a slap in the face compared to what victims and their families really deserve.
If you have been injured due to one of GM's defective ignition switches, please call the defective products lawyers at Dallas W. Hartman, P.C. We have been helping defective products victims for more than twenty-five years. Call Dallas W. Hartman, P.C. today at 800-777-4081 for a free preliminary consultation.
Source: WFMJ, "GM launches compensation program for crash victims" 5 June 2014