DETROIT, MI (AP)-- A fund set up by General Motors to pay for deaths and injuries caused by its vehicles with faulty ignitions is accepting claims.
The five-month filing period that began Friday is part of the fallout from General Motors' recall of 2.6 million small cars beginning in February.
That recall forced General Motors Corporation to acknowledge it knew about the defective switches for more than a decade and triggered a sweeping safety review that has resulted in a series of additional recalls. About 29 GM vehicles have been recalled this year.
Drivers, passengers and pedestrians killed or hurt by one of the defective GM vehicles can file a claim through December 31st.
GM has already absorbed a $400 million charge to cover the potential payments to be made by the fund.