The Mercedes Benz emissions scandal happened shortly after the Volkswagen Dieselgate scandal in 2015, but surprising developments still continue to pop up every week. There are still fines, compensations, and lawsuits to take care of, and thousands of affected cars to recall. The emissions scandal is still ongoing. The story just does not seem to end.
It was in 2018 when the German Federal Motor Transport Authority discovered defeat devices inside Mercedes-Benz’s diesel vehicles. This resulted in the recall of over 770,000 cars throughout Europe.
In 2019, German prosecutors required Daimler, Mercedes-Benz’s parent company, to pay off fines that totalled €870 million in relation to the diesel emission scandal. Then early in 2020, Mercedes had to pay compensation to approximately 500,000 car owners whose diesel vehicles were alleged to have been installed with defeat devices.
Additionally, reports suggest that claimants can receive about £10,000 each. Since reports indicate that around 600,000 affected Mercedes-Benz vehicles are all over the UK, and around one million car owners are predicted to file their claim, the German car manufacturer could end up paying billions in compensation.
Despite the findings of the authorities, and the fines, compensation, and recalls they adhered to, Mercedes-Benz continues to deny the allegations. A spokesperson for the company said the claims have no merit so they will continue to deny all the accusations and defend Mercedes-Benz against class-action lawsuits.
The Dieselgate scandal
As mentioned above, the Dieselgate scandal happened in 2015. It was the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or EPA that discovered defeat devices in thousands of Volkswagen vehicles sold in the United States. VW’s attention was called and the story of the emissions scandal started.
The defeat devices found in VW cars were cheat software programmed to detect when a vehicle is about to undergo testing. As the test starts, the device turns on a system that automatically lowers NOx nitrogen oxide emissions so that it stays within the legal limits. When the vehicle is driven on the road, in real-world driving conditions, the emission levels are many times higher than the limits set by the EU and the World Health Organization.
Aside from Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz, other manufacturers have also been implicated in the scandal. These manufacturers include Renault, Vauxhall, Alfa Romeo, BMW, Ford, Nissan, Jeep, Suzuki, Citroën, Fiat, and Peugeot.
Why Mercedes-Benz should pay compensation
There are two reasons why Mercedes-Benz should pay affected car owners:
First: defeat devices are the source of deadly emissions.
The Mercedes Benz emissions scandal does not affect only the car manufacturers and owners, but every individual who breathes in the polluted air. NOx or nitrogen oxides, the harmful gases that vehicles emit endangers the environment and human health.
Nitrogen oxides contain nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), which are responsible for the formation of acid rain, smog, and ground-level ozone. Exposure to these gases can cause certain health problems such as difficulty in breathing, asthma or aggravated asthma (if the individual already has it), lung damage, and other respiratory issues. Severe cases may lead to cardiovascular problems and in some cases, premature death.
Nitrogen oxides are also partly responsible for the formation of fine particulate matter or PM2.5. This toxic emission easily slides down to the lungs all the way down to the respiratory tract. This will cause some health issues like shortness of breath, lung and throat irritation, among others. In severe cases, PM2.5 exposure may cause cardiovascular problems, cancer, and even premature death.
Second: car manufacturers lied to their customers.
Mercedes-Benz did not inform their customers that defeat devices were installed in their cars. The car manufacturer even sold these diesel engine vehicles at premium prices because they are supposed to be cost-efficient, safe, and environmentally friendly. In other words, they lied to and deceived their customers.
The inconveniences brought about by the defeat devices to car owners need to be properly compensated.
How to get compensated
If you own a Mercedes-Benz and believe that it has been installed with a defeat device, you should be getting a recall notice. If you haven’t received anything yet, you should get in touch with Mercedes-Benz right away.
Then you should start working on your compensation claim. As the process can be challenging and tedious, you need to find a team of emission compensation claim experts that can guide you through the requirements and the entire process.
You should also consider hiring a team that offers a no-win, no-fee guarantee. This agreement means that even if your claim is unsuccessful, you do not have to pay your legal team anything.
You have to choose the right team of emissions experts; one that is experienced and ready and eager to help you no matter what your circumstances are. The team of experts at Emissions.co.uk is ideal for the task.
