Deadline for crash claims against GM extended by a month

New York

THE families of people killed or injured in crashes involving General Motors cars that had a deadly ignition switch defect will have an extra month to submit claims for payment under GM's victim compensation programme. Kenneth Feinberg, who administers the compensation fund, has decided to extend the deadline to Jan 31 to give more time to families who might not be aware of the programme.

The extension comes a week after The New York Times revealed the identity of Jean Averill, who was killed in a 2003 crash of a Saturn Ion at the age of 81. Hers was the earliest fatality that GM connected with the ignition defect. Until informed by The Times, the family had not known of the company's compensation programme or that it was eligible to receive a minimum of US$1 million from the fund. At that time, the family said that it had never been contacted by the carmaker.