It has been reported in the media that a substantial fine in the sum of $16.9m has been issued in respect of a Mercedes emissions rule breach in South Korea.
Although this is in a separate legal jurisdiction to that which we operate in, it is always good to see positive news stories of enforcement action being taken as part of the wider fight for global emissions justice. Your Lawyers – The Car Emissions Lawyers – are pioneers in the field of emissions compensation law, representing thousands of claimants engaged in actions now on a No Win, No Fee basis.
You can find out if you are eligible to join one of our actions here now.
About the Mercedes emissions rule breach fine
The multi-million dollar fine has been issued over a Mercedes emissions rule breach that is said to be related to the carmaker advertising its diesel passenger vehicles in South Korea.
It is understood that regulator the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFT) has alleged that Mercedes has installed software in vehicles that may hinder emissions controls out on the road whilst allowing them to be able to pass testing. This is markedly similar to what VW has been found guilty of doing with the use of “defeat device” technology. Whilst carmakers like Mercedes and VW have denied any wrongdoing, the High Court in the VW case specifically determined that the software code hidden deep within the affected vehicles amounted to an unlawful “defeat device”.
The KTFC has also alleged that Mercedes engaged in the false advertisement of vehicles on the basis that they met emissions regulations in place, when they are understood to have actually not met the requirements.
The Korean regulator appears to be taking the Mercedes emissions rule breach matters seriously, which is good to see.
How this impacts the UK litigation
The fine issued is for Mercedes emissions rule breach matters specifically in South Korea, so they do not have any direct bearing on the emissions compensation actions being pursued against Mercedes here in the UK. That being said, as we often say when we cover these international stories, it is always positive to see action being taken in respect of what is a monumental and global fight for justice.
The allegations that now dozens of carmakers like Mercedes are facing are incredibly serious indeed. If they are proven to be true, we are set to be faced with the reality that some carmakers might have intentionally cheated in order to pass emissions testing. This may mean that we – the people – and our precious environment may have been subjected to higher than expected levels of dangerous and lethal pollutants. This is simply not acceptable if it is the case that this is what has happened.
Of course, carmakers continue to strongly deny that they have done anything wrong. Some stand accused of using “defeat device” technology to break the rules, and others are being accused of finding ways to exploit the rules to break them.
What we can say is this: we will thoroughly investigate allegations and pursue claims for compensation. If any carmakers are found guilty of breaking the law, we will hold them to account!
Joining the pursuit for emissions justice
You can find out if you are eligible to join one of our emissions compensation actions now by completing a few forms here.
Eligible clients can benefit from No Win, No Fee legal representation now, and you could be owed thousands of pounds in compensation.
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