45 Death Claims Eligible for GM Ignition Switch Fund

The fund set up by General Motors Co. to compensate victims of its defective ignition switches has raised the number of eligible death claims to 45 out of 303 applications received to date.

The fund is reviewing 78 more claims and has ruled 49 others ineligible. GM says the remaining applications are "deficient," meaning they lack enough support data to assess.

The program also has approved seven catastrophic injury claims and 60 less serious injuries that required hospitalization. The fund is scheduled to stop taking applications at the end of January.

The program reports receipt of 2,710 claims to date. All stem from GM's recall last February of 2.6 million cars equipped with ignition switches that could be jostled into turning off the engine, thus cutting power for the steering, brakes and airbag systems.