Volkswagen marketed their “CleanDiesel” vehicles as environmentally-friendly, but actually installed illegal software to cheat emissions tests. Within days, dozens of class action lawsuits were filed all over the United States.
VW Class Action Lawsuits
Volkswagen (VW) has admitted installing software designed to cheat emissions tests in the United States. About 11 million diesel vehicles worldwide are affected, including 482,000 in the United States.
The “defeat device” is a software algorithm designed to sense when the car is being tested for emissions. During the test, the device cut emissions of nitrous oxide — but on the road, the car emits up to 40X acceptable levels of the toxic gas, according to the EPA.
The problem is that the vehicles were marketed as “Clean Diesel” to environmentally-conscious consumers, with better fuel-economy and lower carbon emissions than gasoline engines.
Four days after the EPA announcement, Reuters reported that at least 25 class action lawsuits had already been filed. According to one plaintiff, “Every reason that I bought the car was based on a lie.”
Vehicles affected by emissions fraud:
- Audi A3 (2010-2015)
- Beetle (2012-2015)
- Beetle Convertible (2012-2015)
- Golf (2010-2015)
- Golf Sportwagen (2015)
- Jetta (2009-2015)
- Jetta Sportwagen (2009-2014)
- Passat (2012-2015)
Fixing Cars May Reduce Performance
There is a trade-off between emissions and performance. The simplest and cheapest fix is simply updating the software — but that will likely cause the vehicle to lose efficiency. The more expensive fix involve retrofitting the engines, which would cost thousands of dollars per vehicle.
What is the problem?
The Clark Firm, LLP is nationally recognized as a class action law firm in Texas. However, instead of a VW class action, we are seeking justice for our clients through individual lawsuits.
About Class Actions
Class actions are ideal when a lot of people have the same legal claim — for example, buying a car based on false advertisements about its emissions. Instead of everyone filing a lawsuit alone, thousands of people join together and collectively seek compensation. Any payout is divided equally among class members after lawyers’ fees.
Why Our Law Firm is Filing Individual Lawsuits as Opposed to a Class Action
The problem with class actions is they can have disadvantages for individuals with the most serious claims. Instead of a class action, our attorneys are filing individual lawsuits. You may qualify for economic and non-economic losses for your vehicle, such as lost resale value.