60,000 drivers press ahead after GLO grant in VW litigation

Tens of thousands of car owners have been granted a group litigation order (GLO) as they bid to win compensation from Volkswagen (VW) over the diesel emissions scandal that rocked the manufacturer in 2015.

The High Court in London granted the GLO to more than 60,000 British drivers on 25 May. The law firms Leigh Day and Slater and Gordon are leading the group, and working with a steering committee comprised of other lawyers who represent large numbers of alleged victims.

VW admitted in 2015 that defective devices that cheated pollution tests had been fitted to 11 million cars worldwide, including 1.2 million in the UK. The German car company has paid significant fines in other jurisdictions, and disputed whether there is a legal basis for consumer claims in connection with the diesel matter.

The recently granted GLO allows issues common across all of the claims on the group register to be tried.

The terms of the GLO will now be advertised in national newspapers and through social media to ensure that all individuals who believe that they have been affected by the actions of Volkswagen will have a chance to join the action.

Leigh Day is focused on bringing a claim on behalf of UK drivers under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, claiming a refund of at least 50% of the value of their car or finance repayments made on or after 1 October 2014.

Chris Haan, lead lawyer for the Leigh Day team, commented: “We would urge anyone who believes they have a vehicle which has been affected by the fitting of this software to allegedly cheat emissions tests to join the group register before the deadline in October.”

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Mark Dugdale