Mercedes-Benz has been in the limelight for years because of their involvement in the infamous Dieselgate diesel emissions scandal. The scam may have happened several years ago but its repercussions still reverberate throughout the UK and Europe.
It was in 2018 when Germany’s Federal Transport Authority KBA discovered that Mercedes-Benz used illegal cheat devices in their diesel vehicles. The carmaker had to recall thousands upon thousands of affected vehicles.
The Mercedes emissions scandal then started in the UK in May 2020, several years after the 2015 Volkswagen Dieselgate scandal. In August of that year, the carmaker’s parent company Daimler announced that they entered an agreement with US authorities in relation to cases filed against them in relation to the use of defeat devices in Audi and Volkswagen diesel vehicles. The agreement included a settlement for various environmental and civil claims, as well as a class-action lawsuit filed before a US court.
Mercedes settled for a payout totalling $700 million.
This development encouraged UK law firms and their clients to file group litigation claims against the German carmaker. Mercedes, however, said that the claims have no basis, especially since the US emissions control system and certification process and legal framework are different from the UK’s.
Nevertheless, affected UK car owners are determined to pursue legal action against the manufacturer. If they are successful, each claimant can receive anywhere between £3,000 and £10,000. An estimate of the number of car owners affected by the diesel emissions scandal in the UK came up with a total of around 1.2 million possible claimants.
The diesel emissions scandal
In September 2015, the Volkswagen Group was accused by US authorities of using defeat devices in their vehicles, particularly the Audi and Volkswagen sold to American customers. The devices are used to cheat emissions testing.
Authorities believed the VW Group knowingly installed the devices although Volkswagen officials firmly denied the allegations. Later on, however, VW officials revealed they did know about the cheat devices.
After Volkswagen, authorities zeroed in on Mercedes-Benz, another German carmaker accused of utilising the defeat device. Other car manufacturers followed, including Renault, BMW, Peugeot, Alfa Romeo, Nissan, Jeep, and Ford, among others.
The diesel emissions scandal is perhaps the biggest scam to ever happen to the global automotive industry. Manufacturers involved in the scandal have spent millions in fines and compensation over the years.
Defeat devices
Defeat devices are illegal because they hide real emission levels. They detect when a vehicle is in testing and automatically and artificially reduce emission levels to within the limits set by the World Health Organization.
Once the vehicle is brought out and driven in real-world driving conditions, it expels massive amounts of nitrogen oxide at levels that are way over the EU and WHO limits. In light of this, it’s easy to see that vehicles with defeat devices are, despite what their manufacturers have claimed that they’re eco-friendly, heavy pollutants.
Nitrogen oxide
Defeat devices are dangerous because they hide real emissions levels of the vehicles they’re installed in, allowing what are essentially pollutants to ply the roads with impunity.
Nitrogen oxide is the gas that diesel vehicles emit. It is made up of the gases NO or nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide or NO2, which are composed of oxygen and nitrogen atoms. Both gases are responsible for the formation of acid rain and smog. NO is flammable and colourless with a little bit of odour while NO2 is non-flammable but poisonous and appears in a deep, red-orange colour. NO2 is what makes smog reddish-brown and can be quite toxic, especially if one is exposed to high concentrations of the gas.
NO and NO2 together form nitrogen oxide, which has several environmental and health impacts. When plants and crops are exposed to NOx emissions, they grow weaker and become more susceptible to frost and damage.
When a person with mental health triggers is exposed to NOx emissions, they can experience anxiety and depression.
Exposure to NOx emissions can also have life-changing impacts, including:
- Fluid in the lungs
- Aggravated asthma
- Asthma
- Emphysema
- Asphyxiation
- Bronchitis
- Laryngospasm or spasm of the vocal cords
- Increased susceptibility to cancer
- Increased risk for cardiovascular diseases
- Chronically reduced lung function
Exposure to high levels of nitrogen oxide can also lead to premature death. Studies and reports have proven this, with some even saying that NOx emissions – and air pollution in general – have become the primary reason for most early deaths around the world.
All these impacts are the reasons why car owners affected by the diesel emissions scandal should file a diesel claim.
Your diesel emissions claim
Why do I need to file my diesel claim? The reasons are simple:
First, you need to hold your manufacturer responsible for the deceit and lies they subjected you to when they mis-sold the vehicle to you.
Second, you need to hold your manufacturer responsible for the harm they caused the environment.
Third, you need to hold your manufacturer responsible for the danger they subjected you and the people around you.
Be sure, however, that you’re working with experienced and trained emissions solicitors. So, get in touch with ClaimExperts.co.uk to find out if you are eligible to file a Mercedes emissions claim. This is the best way to start the claims process.
