DETROIT, MI – The number of approved death compensation claims related to a recall of a faulty General Motors ignition switch has risen to 77. The claims were approved by a fund set up by GM to compensate victims of a defective part in mid-to-late-2000s model cars that has led to a massive recall and a federal investigation. The number of approved claims stood at 19 in mid-September and had grown steadily to 36 at the beginning of December and then to 42 in the middle of last month. They hit 57 last month, and reached 64 earlier this month. MORE