Deadline Approaching for VW Emission Scandal Claims

If you were caught up in the Volkswagen emissions scandal, also known as 'dieselgate', then it is important to know that time is running out to make a claim for compensation.

A final date for claims of October 26th has been decided following a High Court of Justice ruling, and any motorist who is successful in their legal action could be entitled to up to 100 per cent of the amount they paid for their car.

What was the emissions scandal?

The VW emissions scandal saw the German motoring giant found guilty of cheating economic tests, using software to limit the levels of dangerous gas released during testing. This deception involved programming turbocharged direct injection (TDI) diesel engines to activate emission controls in lab conditions. In real-world scenarios, cars from VW and its associated brands, such as SEAT, Skoda and Audi, were found to be releasing 40 times more nitrogen oxide (NOx) than what was recorded prior to release.

A software update was installed during a large-scale recall process, but many drivers have reported fresh issues as a result of the supposed fix, including power faults, greater fuel intake, and even complete engine failure in some of the more severe cases.

The class action against VW has been established so that any motorist who owns, or has previously owned, a car that has been affected as a result of the emissions scandal, can hold VW accountable for their actions and seek to claim compensation.

Going to court

An estimated 1.2million car owners in the UK have been affected by dieselgate, with 50,000 people complaining of faults stemming from the emissions update alone. Despite the volume of complaints, however, VW is taking a bullish stance, stating that car owners have “no legal basis” to pursue a settlement.

A VW spokesperson said:“Our consistent position has been that the instigation of UK legal proceedings was both premature and unfounded, and that we will robustly defend any such litigation.

“Our UK customers have not suffered any loss or damage as a result of the NOx issue. The vehicles are safe and roadworthy, and perform as advertised. The required approvals are available and have not been withdrawn.

"Implementation of the voluntary service campaign is ongoing. The residual value of the vehicles has been not affected as a result of the diesel issue.”

Regardless of what VW might say about the matter, it is likely that plenty of claims will be made before the October 26th deadline passes. Dieselgate is still a long way from over, and with drivers getting close to a huge payout it looks to be an issue that will cause pain for the German firm for some time to come.

If you have any questions about the process of making a personal injury claim, then please speak to a member of the Winns team today using our Live Chat feature.

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