General Motors has recalled a further 8.4 million vehicles
worldwide and has now recalled more than 28 million cars this year.
Dow Jones Newswires reports that the vehicles are mostly
being recalled because of unintended ignition key rotation. The models affected
were manufactured from 1997 to 2014.
The high number of recalls follows a long-running saga over
faulty car ignitions. In that scandal, the company delayed recalling Chevrolet
Cobalt and other small and, as a result, 54 crashes occurred and at least 13 people
died.
As a result of the mishandling of the recall, GM sacked 15 of its executives.
The Guardian reports that, according to compensation fund
administrator attorney Kenneth R Feinberg, the families of those killed in crashes
involving the defective ignition switches could receive at least US $1m
($106m).
The payments to those injured in accidents involving the
switches could receive from US $20,000 ($21,000) to tens of millions, depending
on their injuries and the amount of ongoing medical care they require.
GM CEO Mary Barra said of the compensation, “We are
taking responsibility for what has happened by treating them with compassion,
decency and fairness. To that end, we are looking forward to Mr Feinberg
handling claims in a fair and expeditious manner.”
Mr Feinberg is an experienced compensation fund
administrator. He has worked on similar programs for companies such as BP and on
a compensation fund for victims of 9/11.