Legal proceedings against Volkswagen are still ongoing in several countries almost seven years after the big diesel crash. In the UK, the group has now compared itself to consumers before a major trial could take place.
After a British class action lawsuit in the diesel scandal, Volkswagen has reached a settlement of around 227 million euros (193 million pounds).
More than 90,000 owners of diesel vehicles from the group brands VW, Audi, Seat and Skoda had complained because of manipulated emission data. The case, which was due to be heard in London’s High Court in January 2023, is believed to be the largest class action lawsuit ever brought before an English court.
As part of the settlement, no admissions of liability, cost causation or loss were made, Volkswagen emphasized in a joint statement with the plaintiff. At the same time, the Wolfsburg company apologized to their customers for installing the manipulation software and announced that they wanted to regain their trust. “The settlement is another important milestone on the way for the Volkswagen Group to put the deeply regrettable incidents behind us by September 2015,” said VW chief legal officer Philip Haarmann, according to the announcement.
The managing director of the law firm Slater and Gordon, which represented around 70,000 plaintiffs, was “immensely proud” of the result. “The settlement eliminates a long, complex and expensive court case and we are pleased to have reached this settlement for our clients as a result of the class action.”
