If you have a BMW diesel vehicle that was manufactured between the years 2007 and 2018, you may be eligible to receive financial compensation amounting to thousands. This developed as some of the world’s most popular carmakers may be going to court this year for alleged involvement in the diesel emissions scandal that started in 2015.
In September of that year, the Volkswagen Group caught the attention of the California Air Resources Board and the Environmental Protection Agency (or EPA) after it was discovered that their Audi and VW diesel devices sold in the US were allegedly equipped with defeat devices that were used to artificially reduce emissions.
The VW Group had to recall the hundreds of thousands of affected Audi and VW vehicles and started paying off fines, fees, and compensation. To date, the carmaker has spent billions in payoffs, including settlement agreements with affected car owners. This became known as the Dieselgate scandal.
By 2018, lawyers for the more than 90,000 drivers of defeat device-equipped vehicles started a GLO or group litigation order against the German carmaker. A GLO is similar to the Americans’ class-action lawsuit. All claims are joined in and managed as one litigation case.
The initial hearing for the diesel emissions claims case was held in December 2019. By April 2020, the High Court came out with a decision that confirmed the allegations – Volkswagen’s EA 189 – the diesel engine found in VW, SEAT, Škoda, and Audi vehicles – was equipped with a defeat device. According to lawyers, VW allegedly installed the device so that vehicles would easily pass environmental regulations.
At about the same time, other carmakers started getting involved in the scandal. Allegedly included in the list are some popular brands, including Mercedes-Benz, Renault, and British manufacturer Vauxhall. Luxury carmaker BMW is also accused of using defeat devices.
Although representatives denied BMW emissions scandal allegations, the German carmaker has recalled hundreds of thousands of vehicles and paid off billions in fees and fines. Lawyers are telling affected drivers that they can receive thousands in compensation if they bring a diesel claim against BMW.
Why is Dieselgate illegal and why are defeat devices dangerous?
The Dieselgate scandal is an unlawful act that involved the use of illegal devices programmed to manipulate emissions testing. When a defeat device senses that the vehicle is in testing mode, it automatically lowers emissions to levels within the World Health Organization’s (WHO) legal limits. As such, the vehicle is clean, safe, and high-performing. To authorities, it appears emissions-compliant. This only happens during testing conditions, though.
When the vehicle is taken out of the lab and driven on real-life road conditions, its defeat device stops working and it emits exceedingly high amounts of nitrogen oxide or NOx. Nitrogen oxide emissions can have life-threatening health impacts. NOx destroys the environment as well. Therefore, a defeat device-equipped vehicle is a pollutant.
So, essentially, Volkswagen lied to their customers by marketing and selling high-emissions vehicles as clean and environmentally safe products. Aside from deceiving customers, they also exposed drivers to the dangerous effects of exposure to NOx.
BMW and the other manufacturers alleged to have used the defeat devices are just as guilty as Volkswagen. They also sold high-emissions diesel vehicles at premium prices without informing customers about the defeat devices.
How do NOx emissions destroy the environment and human lives?
Nitrogen oxide’s active components are nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide. Both gases make NOx highly reactive when mixed with other elements or chemicals. Acid rain and smog, for example, are formed with the help of NOx.
NOx also produces ground-level ozone, the pollutant that’s responsible for weakening and damaging vegetation.
If you are exposed to nitrogen oxide emissions, your cognitive capabilities weaken, increasing your chances of developing dementia.
The more adverse effects of exposure to NOx emissions vary from common and mild to serious health conditions.
Low-level exposure will often lead to asthma and respiratory diseases such as emphysema and bronchitis, shortness of breath, and nausea and vomiting. In some cases, fluid may build up in the lungs.
If you are regularly exposed to high levels of NOx, the impacts can be life-changing and life-threatening:
- Chronic lung function reduction
- Asphyxiation
- Cancer
- Vocal cords spasm
- Diabetes
- Cardiovascular diseases
- Premature death
The past few years have seen an increase in the number of premature deaths linked to air pollution. As such, toxic air has become the leading cause of unexpected deaths, making it more dangerous than drugs and alcohol, HIV and AIDS, and cigarette smoking.
These health impacts and environmental dangers are more than enough reasons to bring a diesel claim against your manufacturer. They should compensate you for all the inconveniences that their lying has caused.
However, as not all vehicles are affected by defeat devices, it’s important to know which action to prioritise before starting your emission claim.
So, how should I start my diesel claim?
Your first step is to find out if you are qualified to file a BMW emissions claim. It’s easy; all you have to do is visit Emissions.co.uk and they’ll provide you with all the information you need.
Once you have verified that you can file a diesel claim, you can start working on your case with the help of certified emissions experts.
