The claims were filed to Kenneth Feinberg, the victim compensation specialist hired by GM to evaluate the claims and authorize payouts.
His office has so far ruled at least 125 claims eligible, including 50 deaths. Nearly 400 were ruled ineligible for compensation through the fund and thousands more are either under review or were submitted without adequate documentation.
The deadline to file claims was Saturday, and fund deputy administrator Camille Biros told CNNMoney the 3,350 total represents claims filed through Thursday. The number was first reported by The New York Times. Biros said new figures would be released on Monday.
Feinberg’s office will also review claims that are currently in the mail but were postmarked Saturday, and continue to accept and consider evidence for claims it has already received. He said earlier the goal is to respond to each claim within three to four months.
Attorneys representing victims, as well as lawmakers, urged GM to extend the deadline, which it did once by setting Saturday’s date. The company has said, “Our goal with the program has been to reach every eligible person impacted.”
GM originally said 13 deaths were linked to the issue.
Some alleged victims of the ignition switch flaw have taken GM and parts supplier Delphi Automotive to court. But their lawsuits are on hold until a bankruptcy court decides this month whether the company’s bankruptcy means it has a so-called liability shield that protects it from earlier claims.
GM set aside $400 million for the Feinberg-administered compensation program, but said it is limitless. Each victim Feinberg rules eligible is allowed a baseline amount — $1 million for a death, for example — plus funds to cover lost wages and costs like medical bills.
General Motors’ recall of 2.6 million vehicles that may have the faulty switches set off intense scrutiny of the company’s safety practices because it revealed some employees knew of the problem a decade ago. A report by former federal prosecutor Anton Valukas found internal communication was flawed, but no conspiracy to cover up the issue.
GM CEO Mary Barra, a veteran of the company but new to the corner office, apologized.
By the end of 2014, GM recalled a record-setting 30 million vehicles for issues ranging from faulty seat belts to electrical and computer problems.
Barra has tried to move forward, and last month GM released data showing car sales increased last year by 5% over 2013 levels.
