‘Dieselgate’ win for VW drivers
BRITISH drivers are celebrating after winning their first stage in High Court action against VW over “dieselgate”.
Mr Justice David Waksman ruled yesterday that Volkswagen “did indeed” install software, known as defeat devices, in its engines to cheat EU emissions tests.
He said: “A software function which enables a vehicle to pass the test because (artificially) it operates the vehicle in a way which is bound to pass the test and in which it does not operate on the road is a fundamental subversion of the test and the objective behind it.” The ruling was welcomed by Gareth Pope, at Slater and Gordon, which represents 70,000 claimants.
He said: “It exposes VW’s disregard for public health in pursuit of profit and market dominance.”
Bozena Michalowska Howells, from law firm Leigh Day, is joint lead solicitor in the UK group action against VW.
She said the ruling was “hugely significant for our clients”.
She called on VW “to now do the right thing and put their customers first by entering into settlement negotiations”.
VW said: “We remain confident in our case that we are not liable to the claimants as alleged and the claimants did not suffer any loss.”
In September 2015, VW announced that 11 million vehicles worldwide, including 1.2 million in the UK, were affected by “dieselgate”, with engines emitting up to 40 times the legal limit of nitrogen dioxide when on the road.
Globally, VW has paid out more than £26billion in fines, recall costs and civil settlements.