Our firm has filed a claim against Daimler AG, parent company of Mercedes-Benz, in the Liverpool High Court. The case relates to a Mercedes diesel emissions scandal, which involves the use of defeat devices (also called ‘cheat devices’) on an estimated half million Mercedes diesel vehicles first registered between 2007 and 2018 in the United Kingdom.
These defeat device software systems change the way the vehicles function in test scenarios, to help them meet required emissions and performance levels, when in day-to-day use, the vehicles would in fact fall well short of that mark.
The use of this kind of software is not just an affront to environmental laws, but also misleading advertising – convincing drivers that their vehicles are more efficient and less harmful to the environment than they are. The costs of these actions to Mercedes could be up to £10 billion, if they’re found accountable.
A test case with 17 clients was issued in the High Court in Liverpool on Friday 8 May 2020, with hundreds of clients signing up each day. Affected consumers will be able to join the Mercedes claim and be represented by the international law firm on a ‘no-win, no-fee’ basis, meaning they’ll face none of the legal fees if the group-action isn’t successful.
The estimated compensation is £10,000 for each person who joins, but it could be bigger. The number of people affected by the Mercedes diesel emissions scandal might also be far higher than the number of diesel vans and cars which were manipulated, since second-hand owners are considered to have been affected as well as first owners.
The issue with defeat devices in diesel vehicles
A defeat device is a software system that lowers the amount of Nitrogen Dioxide emissions while the diesel vehicle is going through tests, meaning it will seem to be respecting the emissions limits imposed by environmental regulations, when in reality, once the vehicle is driving on the road in real-life scenarios, its emissions are far higher and its performance much less efficient.
It is understood that the increased level of Nitrogen Dioxide emissions these vehicles have been generating could have increased fuel bill and maintenance costs for car owners, while also causing environmental damage and harm to the health of people – especially children.
Our firm believes this is a shocking betrayal of both the law and consumer trust. Owners should be compensated for being misled into buying a vehicle that doesn’t perform as promised, is potentially harmful to their health and the health of others, and contributes significant pollutants to the environment.
Similar actions in the US saw claimants receive around £5,000 each for Volkswagen’s Dieselgate scandal. This time, our team estimates that consumers who join the Mercedes claim could receive £10,000 or more in compensation.
Who is eligible to join the Mercedes claim
At this point, over 6,000 customers who have been affected by the Mercedes diesel emissions scandal have joined the claim – but hundreds of thousands of drivers may have been impacted by this issue and we expect that this number will significantly increase over the coming days and weeks.
If you believe you were one of the affected people and want to learn more about the ‘No-win, No-fee’ group action, please visit our Mercedes Claim website.
