United States law firm Hagens Berman is a global litigation pioneer advocating on behalf of consumers who owned or leased diesel vehicles that do not comply with emissions laws. The firm has reached settlements in emissions-cheating matters totalling more than $16.9 billion.
While Hagens Berman has been on the forefront of this highly specialised realm of law Hagens Berman EMEA LLP propels the firm’s steadfast and intensive investigative skills to unearth emissions-cheating schemes by automakers, and supporting government regulators in the pursuit of car manufacturers that have violated emissions standards, regulations and consumer confidence.
This list of offending automakers includes Mercedes. Hagens Berman has uniquely dedicated its resources to uncovering cheating devices used by other automakers as well, and our work has led the firm to uncover emissions cheating perpetrated by General Motors and Fiat Chrysler prompting multiple U.S. investigations.
When news broke in 2015 of Volkswagen’s massive diesel emissions-cheating scandal, Hagens Berman represented thousands of consumers and took a leading role on the plaintiffs’ steering committee that would finalize a $14.7 billion, record-breaking settlement for owners. From the beginning, Hagens Berman used its history of complex case leadership and class-action organization to lead the case, providing updates and answers to Volkswagen owners when VW had left them in the dark.
The firm is uniquely dedicated to this cause and is the only U.S. firm that has purchased an emission testing machine to determine if other diesel car manufacturers install similar cheating devices, bringing new cases based on the firm’s own research, time and testing. In doing so, Hagens Berman has become a proactive pioneer – testing vehicles, effecting scientific evidence of new fraud and leading the pack against automakers who violate the law. No other firm has taken on the risk in developing automotive emissions-cheating cases like Hagens Berman has.
Hagens Berman has remained focused on bolstering the rights of consumers and the environment. In March of 2016, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency asked Mercedes to explain emissions levels in its diesel BlueTEC vehicles, following the firm’s class-action lawsuit unearthing its emissions cheating. The inquiry from the federal agency was prompted by Hagens Berman’s claims that Mercedes has installed in its supposedly clean vehicles a device that shuts off its emissions-scrubbing system when the ambient temperature drops below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, causing them to spew unadulterated and environmentally harmful exhaust in violation of federal emissions laws.
Hagens Berman’s work and results are further evidenced by Mercedes’ $2.2 billion agreement in principle with the Department of Justice, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and California Attorney General’s office inclusive of a $700 million settlement for U.S. consumers impacted by the loss of resale value, and other damages. Hagens Berman is committed to ensuring recovery for all Mercedes owners around the globe, and will be helping United Kingdom Mercedes owners receive the justice they deserve.