VW emissions suit reaches top German court in legal milestone
Almost five years after the diesel scandal first broke, Volkswagen faces a new milestone in its litany of legal battles as Germany’s top court for civil proceedings considers a first suit from a duped VW customer.
The case was brought by a plaintiff from the south-western German state of Rhineland-Palatinate who is seeking a full refund from Volkswagen of around 31,500 euros (34,454 dollars) for a used car he bought in 2014.
When it eventually comes, the ruling by the Federal Court of Justice will set an important precedent for hundreds of thousands who bought vehicles fitted with devices able to cheat emissions tests.
A higher regional court in the city of Koblenz has previously ruled that the man should get back some of the amount he paid for the vehicle – a ruling that is being appealed by both VW and the plaintiff.
Volkswagen Group recently agreed to pay damages to 235,000 owners of its cars in Germany, in order to avoid a class-action lawsuit. The company is to pay out up to 830 million euros under the deal, negotiated with the vzbv consumer group.
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But tens of thousands of consumers are still planning to sue the carmaker individually, after it emerged in September 2015 that millions of its vehicles were far less environmentally friendly than the company was claiming. (dpa)
