Volkswagen Pays Diesel Owners £193m – BMW May Be Next
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Volkswagen Pays Diesel Owners £193m – BMW May Be Next

On March 16, 2023 by

Volkswagen has been embroiled in the Dieselgate diesel emissions scandal since September 2015 when it first erupted. It has also been feeling the repercussions of their illegal action. The German carmaker has recalled thousands upon thousands of affected vehicles. VW has also spent billions in payoffs such as fees and fines, buyback schemes, civil settlements, and fines and fees.

In the first part of 2022, Volkswagen finalised a settlement involving over 90,000 affected drivers in England and Wales. The agreement was for a claims case in the High Court and the carmaker’s use of illegal cheating devices to artificially diesel vehicle control emissions.

Volkswagen issued an apology to its customers and gave assurance that they would do everything to get the public’s trust back.

The carmaker agreed to a settlement worth approximately £193 million. Affected drivers who may receive the compensation are represented by various law firms.

Now that Volkswagen has settled with affected drivers, lawyers and experts are expecting other carmakers, including BMW, to also work towards a settlement.

What happened during the Dieselgate scandal?

The Volkswagen Group caught the attention of US authorities in September 2015 about the use of illegal defeat devices. The California Air Resources Board and the EPA sent the carmaker a Notice of Violation for the installation of the cheat devices in Audi and VW diesel vehicles that were sold to US consumers.

A defeat device is programmed to sense when a vehicle is in the lab for regulatory testing. Once this happens, it lowers emissions to levels that are within the limits set by the World Health Organization (WHO). To regulators, the vehicle appears emissions-compliant; but this was true only during testing.

When the vehicle is brought out of controlled conditions and driven on real-world roads, it emits considerable volumes of nitrogen oxide or NOx, a group of toxic gases that can destroy human lives and the environment. So, in reality, Volkswagen lied to customers. The carmaker also mis-sold emissions-violating vehicles as clean and safe.

Hundreds of thousands of affected vehicles were recalled upon the orders of US authorities. Volkswagen also had to pay fines and fees, something that they continue to do up to this day.

Aside from VW, there are other carmakers accused of using defeat devices in their vehicles. BMW, another German carmaker, was one of these.

Before being implicated in the diesel emissions scandal, BMW was caught in a cartel with the Volkswagen Group and Mercedes-Benz. The carmakers met secretly and discussed how they could delay new technology for clean emissions. Not long after, the BMW emission scandal happened.

Why are defeat devices dangerous?

As mentioned earlier, defeat devices emit extremely high levels of nitrogen oxide. NOx has adverse effects not only on the environment but on human health as well. It contributes to the formation of smog and acid rain, as well as a pollutant known as ground-level ozone.

Ground-level ozone affects vegetation. Constant exposure to it can cause crops and plants to weaken and get damaged.

NOx can trigger episodes of anxiety and depression even for those who haven’t had any mental health-related issues before. Cognitive health may also decline, which means a person can develop dementia (i.e., Alzheimer’s disease).

The health impacts vary from the most minor to serious, life-threatening ones:

  • Asthma
  • Bronchitis, emphysema, and other respiratory conditions
  • Vomiting and nausea
  • Corroded teeth
  • Pulmonary oedema (or fluid build-up in the lungs)

The more serious complications include:

  • Chronic reduction of lung function
  • Asphyxiation
  • Spasm of the vocal cord or laryngospasm
  • Certain cancers
  • Cardiovascular diseases
  • COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
  • Premature death

The first case of premature death happened in the UK in 2013. Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah lived in one of the most polluted areas of south London, near the South Circular Road. She walked to school practically every day, so she was exposed to high levels of nitrogen oxides.

Ella had been in and out of the hospital for several months consecutively. She suffered from various respiratory-related illnesses. The young girl died after a bout of severe asthma.

In December 2020, after an inquest, the coroner announced that air pollution is the cause of Ella’s untimely death.

These environmental and health impacts are the reasons why defeat devices are dangerous. Along with the lying and mis-selling, these are also the reasons why affected car owners are urged to file a diesel claim levelled at their carmakers.

What’s my diesel claim about?

A diesel claim is legal action that allows you and other affected car owners to receive compensation for the inconvenience they caused you using defeat devices in your vehicle. If your case is successful, you can receive compensation in thousands.

To ensure that you are going through the right process, you should work with an emissions expert. You may also want to join a GLO or group litigation order, which is similar to the Americans’ class-action lawsuit.

Before starting your emission claim, however, you should find time to confirm your eligibility to receive compensation. You can do this by visiting Emissions.co.uk. They’ll provide you with all the information you need to start your claim, and you don’t have to spend anything.

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