Girard Gibbs LLP Brings Class Action Lawsuit Against Volkswagen for Diesel Emissions Fraud

OAKLAND, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Girard
Gibbs LLP
, a leading national litigation firm, announced today it
has filed a class action lawsuit
against Volkswagen [VOW3.DE] alleging that the automotive manufacturer
intentionally installed software on diesel vehicles designed to cheat
emissions tests.

Both state and federal laws in the United States impose vehicle
emissions limits, which in recent years led to a marked decline in sales
of diesel passenger cars. With its 2009 Jetta, Volkswagen, which
recently surpassed Toyota as the world’s largest automaker, introduced
“clean diesel” vehicles marketed as being better for the environment,
and it soon expanded this “clean diesel” technology to other models.

The lawsuit brought by Girard Gibbs alleges that earlier this month
Volkswagen admitted to federal regulators that its diesel vehicles are
equipped with software designed to circumvent emissions tests. The
software detects when the vehicles are undergoing testing and
automatically engages the vehicles’ pollution controls. When the
vehicles are not being tested, however, the vehicles operate in “road
calibration” mode, which does not entail the use of the pollution
controls.

By falsifying test results, Volkswagen was able to sell cars emitting
10-40 times the legal limit of nitrogen oxide, a pollutant known to
cause smog and a variety of health problems, according to the lawsuit.
On September 18, 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency issued a
Notice of Violation to the automaker about the emissions, and the
company has indicated that the software has been installed in 11 million
of its diesel vehicles.

“These Volkswagen vehicles should never have been sold, and certainly
should not have spent the past six years on American roads polluting our
air,” said Eric Gibbs, one of the founding partners of Girard Gibbs and
the lead attorney on the case. “It is critical that the civil justice
system hold companies that engage in such conduct accountable. Not only
does this kind of fraud harm consumers and the environment, it unfairly
and negatively impacts competition, which is what drives our free market
system. People should not stand for it.”

The lawsuit alleges that Volkswagen equipped the following diesel
vehicles with the software designed to cheat the emissions tests:

  • 2009-2015 Volkswagen Jetta (including the Jetta Sportswagen)
  • 2010-2015 Volkswagen Golf (including the Golf Sportswagen)
  • 2010-2015 Audi A3
  • 2012-2015 Volkswagen Beetle (including the Beetle Convertible)
  • 2012-2015 Volkswagen Passat

People who own or lease one of these vehicles and wish to learn more
about the courses of action available to them, including the potential
to join Girard Gibbs’ class action lawsuit, may contact the firm by
calling (877) 647-7134 or submitting a form on its website.

Girard Gibbs’ attorneys have 20 years of experience advocating for
consumers against auto manufacturers. In previous litigation against
Volkswagen, the firm obtained cash reimbursements for drivers of
vehicles with defective ignition coils in the 2001-2003 Passat, Jetta,
Audi, and other vehicles. More recently, Girard Gibbs’ attorneys have
served as court-appointed counsel on behalf of consumers in major
litigation against Hyundai, Kia, Ford, and automotive manufacturers.

About Girard Gibbs

Girard Gibbs LLP is a national litigation firm representing plaintiffs
in class and collective actions in state and federal courts, and in
arbitration matters worldwide. Consistently ranked among the top law
firms for mass tort and class-action litigation, Girard Gibbs serves
individuals, institutions, and business clients in cases involving
securities, antitrust, personal injury, whistleblower laws, consumer
protection, and employment laws.

Contacts

Zumado Public Relations
Nick Gaffney, 415-732-7801
ngaffney@zumado.com

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