It’s 2022 but thousands upon thousands of affected car owners are still filing diesel emissions claims against their carmakers in relation to the alleged use of defeat devices. Several cases are set for a full trial at the start of 2023, and this means drivers may be in for diesel claim payouts.
Legal actions filed against Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Ford, BMX, Vauxhall, Land Rover, Fiat, and many other carmakers are for mis-selling and lying to their customers. They marketed and sold defeat device-equipped diesel vehicles as clean and safe when in reality, the cars were pollutants.
Owners of any of the vehicles mentioned above are being encouraged to verify if they can take legal action against their carmaker. Diesel vehicles affected are those that were manufactured between the years 2007 and 2018.
The issue of diesel emissions started in September 2015 when the Volkswagen Group was caught by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the California Air Resources Board for allegedly installing defeat devices in vehicles, specifically Volkswagen and Audi, which they sold to customers in the United States.
Defeat devices are illegal as they mask real emissions. They are able to detect when a vehicle is being tested for emissions. Once they do, they lower the emissions so the levels would appear compliant with what has been mandated by the World Health Organization.
When brought out on real-world road conditions for normal driving, however, the vehicle expels voluminous amounts of nitrogen oxide emissions that break government-mandated limits.
While manufacturers marketed and sold defeat device-equipped vehicles as clean and safe when, in reality, it is a pollutant as it releases nitrogen oxides into the air. NOx can have a devastating effect on a person’s health. It also affects vegetation.
Volkswagen has had to pay fines, adhere to court rules to provide affected car owners with compensation, face class-action lawsuits and group litigation cases, and recall thousands of vehicles.
Mercedes-Benz also found itself in the same spotlight when car owners in the US planned to seek legal action against them for the alleged use of defeat devices. In the UK, however, the first defeat device case in the UK came out in 2020.
Other manufacturers involved in the Dieselgate diesel emissions scandal include BMW, Alfa Romeo, Renault, Peugeot, Land Rover, Fiat, Ford, and Vauxhall.
Nitrogen oxide emissions – what are they?
NOx emissions are gases that contain nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and nitric oxide (NO), two of the main components of nitrogen oxide. NOx is known for contributing to the creation of acid rain and smog.
When NOx reacts with other chemicals, it forms ground-level ozone, a pollutant that negatively impacts vegetation – plants and crops become weaker, which makes them susceptible to frost and damage. NOx exposure can also stunt the growth of plants and crops.
Exposure to NOx emissions can trigger mental health issues, the most common of which are anxiety and depression.
Its most life-changing impact, however, is on a person’s overall health. Low-level NOx exposure often results in headaches, corroded teeth, nausea and vomiting, aggravated asthma or asthma, and respiratory illnesses such as bronchitis and emphysema.
High-level exposure to nitrogen oxide can cause the following health issues:
- Fluid in the lungs
- Chronic lung function reduction
- Asphyxiation
- Increased susceptibility to certain illnesses, specifically to cancer and cardiovascular conditions
- Spasm of the vocal cords (laryngospasm)
- Severe asthma
Exposure to NOx emissions can also lead to premature death, which is what happened to nine-year-old Ella Kissi-Debrah, a UK resident who died in 2013 after a severe asthma attack. She and her mother lived in the South Circular Road area, which is one of the most populated places in the UK. In December 2020, after completing an inquest, the coroner ruled Ella’s death was caused by air pollution.
These impacts are a major reason why legal experts are encouraging affected car owners to file a Dieselgate compensation claim. There are other equally important reasons as well.
Why file a diesel claim
Filing a diesel claim is the best way that you can get your carmaker to pay in exchange for:
- How they deceived and lied to you when they sold you a vehicle equipped with a defeat device
- How they made you pay a premium amount for a sub-standard vehicle
- How they exposed you, your loved ones, and the people around you to the dangers of NOx emissions
Compensation amount typically varies according to the circumstances of the claims case, but you are potentially able to receive a payout of several thousands of pounds according to experts.
How do I file my diesel claim?
It’s not an easy process that you can complete in a day or two. Claims cases often take time and a lot of effort. This is why you should work with a panel of emissions solicitors.
First off, however, you need to know if you are eligible to file for a diesel claim. Visit the ClaimExperts.co.uk website to find out if you are qualified to receive compensation.
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