~10,000 Volkswagen Diesel Vehicle Owners In UK Suing Company Over Scandal
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A new legal action against Volkswagen has been launched in the UK by the law firm Harcus Sinclair, with support from Slater and Gordon, according to recent reports.
The firm is apparently seeking compensation (thousands of British Pounds worth) for every driver/owner in the UK directly affected by the diesel emissions cheating scandal — the company’s use of defeat devices to game testing regulations.
According to the firm, that relates to around 1.2 million vehicles in the UK. The firm also revealed that around 10,000 of those affected had already signed on for the group action (roughly equivalent to a class action suit in the US), which is to occur at the High Court.
The law firm’s website reads:
“We will argue that you received a vehicle that should never have been licensed for sale because it did not meet the required emissions standards.
“We believe that the Court will assess the difference between what you paid for your vehicle and the inherent value of what you actually received.”
A rep for Volkswagen publicly commented on the matter, stating that the company didn’t believe customers were negatively affected by the “issue,” and that it would “robustly” defend itself.
“We expect no decline in the residual values of the affected vehicles as a result of this issue,” the rep stated.
Automotive News provides more:
“Last year, a Spanish court ruled in favor of a buyer of a Volkswagen car with altered emissions software, ordering two of the German firm’s local units to pay a €5,000 (£4,330) fine to the car’s owner.
“But the British authorities have been accused by some consumers and lawmakers of being too slow to act for not pursuing compensation or criminal proceedings. …
“Volkswagen Group has been hit hard in Britain since the scandal erupted in 2015, with sales of its VW brand cars down 7.5% in 2016 despite the overall market rising by over 2% to hit a record high.”
A spokesperson for Harcus Sinclair has publicly stated that the first hearing in the group action case is slated for January 30.
This news follows the recent arrest of Volkswagen exec Oliver Schmidt in the US on charges of conspiracy to defraud the government.
Photo by Darrin Antrobus (some rights reserved)
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