DETROIT — At least 27 people have died and 25 people have been seriously injured in crashes involving General Motors cars with defective ignition switches.

Attorney Kenneth Feinberg, who was hired by GM to compensate victims, updated the totals today.

Feinberg says he has received 178 death claims since August. Of those, 27 have been deemed eligible for compensation payments.

Twenty-five of the 1,193 injury claimants have also received compensation offers.

GM knew about faulty ignition switches in Chevrolet Cobalts and other small cars for more than a decade but didn’t recall them until February of this year. The switches can slip out of the “on” position, which causes the cars to stall, knocks out power steering and turns off the air bags.

Feinberg will accept claims until Dec. 31.