A record breaking settlement decision has been reached in the Volkswagen ‘dieselgate’ scandal in the USA after VW allegedly fitted ‘defeat devices’ in its vehicles.
A final figure of $14.7 billion was approved by US District Court Judge Charles Breyer on 25 October 2016. The money is the largest settlement sum in US history and will be used to compensate more than 475,000 drivers.
Despite the settlement in the USA, Volkswagen is continuing to deny claims of fitting defeat devices in the UK and Europe.
Buyback programme
Under the buyback programme in the USA, car owners who purchased their cars before 17 September 2015 can sell their cars back to Volkswagen for between $12,500 and $44,000.
Any VW drivers with leases will receive a cash value between $2,600 and $4,900 and there will also be eligibility for those who sold their cars or quit their leases before June 28, 2016.
The amount of money that each individual can claim back will be dependent on the make, model and year of the vehicle.
Additional compensation
For those who choose not to sell their cars back to Volkswagen, the company will fix the emissions issue free of charge to ensure their cars are compliant with laws.
All affected customers will also receive an additional compensation payment, which will be between $5,100 and $10,000, regardless of which choice they make.
Matthias Müller, Chief Executive Officer of Volkswagen AG said: “We take our commitment to make things right very seriously and believe these agreements are a significant step forward.”
“We know that we still have a great deal of work to do to earn back the trust of the American people.
What does this mean for our claim against VW?
While Volkswagen continues to deny claims that they fit illegal ‘defeat devices’ in the UK and Europe, news of the settlement gives increased hope for compensation for claimants in the UK.
Our firm is continuing to fight for justice and we believe British drivers could be entitled to even more.
We will keep you updated on the case as it unfolds.
