GM's confirmed ignition deaths hit 50 as claims deadline nears

New York

CONFIRMED deaths tied to General Motors Co's (GM) defective ignition switches stand at 50, four times GM's estimate through much of 2014, as a Jan 31 deadline nears for sending in claims.

The number may go higher. A total of 338 death claims were filed from August through Jan 23, Kenneth Feinberg, who handles payments related to GM's best-known series of recalls, reported on Monday.