27 Oct The Diesel Emissions Scandal and Making a Claim for Compensation

We believe in making sure our business insurance clients are kept safe and protected when the worst happens. With this in mind we were as shocked as any other business when the Diesel emissions scandal hit the headlines in 2015.

Starting with Volkswagen, gradually more and more motor manufacturers have been implicated and court cases are now being launched.

If a vehicle you own or owned in the past, including business vehicles and lease vehicles, was fitted with one of the defeat devices that manipulated emissions tests, you could join other motorists in making a claim for compensation.

What is the ‘Dieselgate’ scandal?

Standardised emissions tests are used to validate a new vehicle model before it’s approved for sale and for regulatory testing during a vehicle’s lifespan, such as in MOTs. Various standard testing formats are used across the globe.

In 2015, the US Environmental Protection Agency discovered that Volkswagen had fitted defeat devices (also known as cheat devices) in many of their models and further investigations carried out across the globe have shown that almost all motor manufacturers fitted some kind of defeat device in their diesel vehicles. These manufacturers include, Nissan, Peugeot, Vauxhall and Volvo among others.

Vehicles fitted with a defeat device could detect when standardised emissions tests were being carried out and adjust the way the engine performed so that lower levels of pollutants were recorded.

In real-world driving conditions, the vehicles were actually creating far higher levels of pollution. Some models exceeded European nitrogen oxide (NOx) emission limits by more than ten times.

The scandal became known as ‘Dieselgate’.

Are you owed compensation?

If you purchased or leased a diesel vehicle between 2009 and 2020 you or your business might be eligible to claim compensation because the motor manufacturers enabled European pollution regulations to be breached and they misled consumers. Any vehicle fitted with a defeat device was almost certainly creating more pollution than tests showed and this may have caused harm to the environment and human health.

Many business drivers and fleet managers chose to drive vehicles marketed with fraudulent claims regarding their emissions and, just like any other type of mis-selling, there are laws in place to protect consumers.

Claims against other motor manufacturer have been successful and now, increasing numbers of manufacturers are being investigated. If they are also found to have breached regulations and falsified their marketing claims, the legal cases are likely to result in more compensation awards for affected owners.

Join a diesel emissions claim to seek compensation

There are a number of legal firms across the country who are handling these group action cases and many have dedicated sections for diesel emissions claims.

Some firms provide a registration checker tool so you can find out if your vehicle is one of those that is affected. Just enter the GB registration number and a rough idea of when you owned or leased it.

It doesn’t matter if you bought or leased the vehicle second-hand or if you no longer have it. If it was fitted with a defeat device, you could be owed thousands of pounds.

Business insurance and more

We understand that many businesses are facing tough times and so it’s important to know if you are entitled to some compensation.

If you can’t make a claim, Tredstone is still the place to go for keeping costs down by providing great value business insurance that’s tailored to your needs.

Call Tredstone today. Powered by City Insurance are team is always here to help.