German court rules against Volkswagen in 'Dieselgate' compensation scandal
Germany's highest court has ruled against Volkswagen in a
landmark case connected to the diesel emissions scandal and paving the way for
several thousand similar claims from customers.
Germany's Federal Court (BGH) passed a binding ruling on
Monday on the case of Herbert Gilbert, who demanded to be reimbursed for the
full purchase price of his car.
The claim related to the so-called 'Diesel-gate' scandal,
under which the German carmaker admitted manipulating vehicles in order to fool
emissions tests.
A VW spokesperson stated that the company will now approach
other customers who had made claims and offer them a one-time reimbursement if
they return their car.
She also said the ruling is no cause for new claims, adding
that there are still unanswered questions, such as a statute of limitations,
and whether customers who have bought their car after the ruling are allowed to
make claims, as well.
At a press conference, Gilbert said this is "a great
day and a great ruling, which I had anticipated. This ruling will help
thousands of other plaintiffs who have been stuck in their proceedings to
finally reach a conclusion."
The judgment could pave the way for several thousand ongoing
claims against VW. At least 11 million cars were involved in the scandal, eight
million of them in Europe.
VW will likely be obligated to pay compensation
Judges had already ruled that VW will be obligated to pay
compensation, but that customers would not receive the entire purchase price of
their vehicle. Instead, they would receive a so-called "usage
compensation" for the kilometres driven.
But Gilbert instead made a compensation claim for the entire
purchase price of €31,500 for his VW Sharan.
A higher regional court in Coblenz had ruled that Gilbert
was owed €25,600 plus interest upon returning his car. Both parties had
appealed against this judgment.
VW argues that no damage had been caused to the customer by
installing the exhaust software, as the vehicle could be used at any time and
the software's installation had not caused any loss of value or other defects.
Euronews has reached out to VW for comment on the ruling.
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