Author: numan
J Guntren
Amazing law firm for conveyancing!! My wife and I made an offer on a house 24th September and we were moved in by 20th December. It should also be noted that we were selling my wife’s apartment at the same time (also using Versus), further complicating everything. Thanks to Natalie, everything was done in a very efficient manner and she was very understanding of our situation.
Nazreen
Which models are affected?
The following Mercedes models are all affected:
C-Class
E-Class
G-Class
M-Class
S-Class
V-Class
GLE
GLE 166 series
GLC
GLK
GLS
CITAN
CLS
SLK
Sprinter
Vito
How much is my claim worth?
Our aim is to win as much compensation for you as possible upto the value of the vehicle. Based on similar cases in the USA and in Germany the compensation could be upto £10,000.
Why should I claim?
Mercedes have been misleading their customers for years about the emissions their vehicles produce and their customers have been affected for the following:
- Their cars were not as environmentally friendly as Mercedes had stated
- They may have made more for fuel bills and maintenance costs
- The performance of the vehicles would not have been as stated
- The resale value of the affected vehicles will be reduced
Why are people claiming against Mercedes?
Just like the Volkswagen scandal Mercedes are accused of fitting a cheat device to a wide range of their cars between 2007 and 2018. If you have ever owned or leased an affected vehicle you may be eligible for compensation upto £10000.
Mercedes agrees 1.5 billion dollar settlement in US
Mercedes parent company Daimler AG has agreed a 1.5 billion USD settlement with US authorities over the emissions scandal. The 1.5 billion dollar settlement comprises 875,000,000 USD in civil penalties, some 70,300,000 USD in other penalties, 100,000,000 USD for ‘mitigation projects’ in California and 436,000,000 USD to pay for the recall programme and mitigation projects across other states.
The settlement follows civil claims filed in the District of Columbia by the US and California Air Resources Board which reports that from 2009 to 2016 Daimler manufactured, imported, and sold more than 250,000 diesel Sprinter vans and passenger cars with defeat devices programmed into the vehicles’ emissions control software.
The United States Department of Justice has announced that Daimler will have to set up a recall and repair program to remove all defeat devices from the affected vehicles at no cost to consumers and bring the vehicles into compliance with applicable emissions standards under the US Clean Air Act.
Affected Mercedes vehicles will be given a software update and replacement of select hardware. Furthermore, Daimler must repair at least 85% of the affected passenger cars within two years and at least 85% of the affected vans within three years. The company has been ordered to offer an extended warranty covering all updated software and hardware, and it must test repaired vehicles each year for the next five years to ensure that the vehicles continue to meet emissions standards over time. Hard-hitting penalties will be given to Daimler if any category of updated vehicles fails to meet applicable emissions standards or if it fails to adhere to the 85% recall rate for passenger cars or vans.
This settlement in the US brings a sense of confidence to Versus Law Solicitors who have started to build a claim and are inviting thousands of Mercedes-Benz vehicle owners in the United Kingdom to get involved and/or register their interest now to join the action. The decision and recent pay outs to owners in the US should leave potential claimants and Mercedes-Benz owners more assured than ever that the courts will rule in their favour.
The issues in the Mercedes-Benz case are similar to the issues raised in the ongoing Volkswagen litigation which has seen HHJ Waksman, alumni of both Manchester and Oxford Universities, in the High Court, in accordance with UK and EU law, determine that the software code hidden deep within the affected vehicles amount to an unlawful ‘defeat device’. This decision along with the decision in the Court of Appeal’s refusal to allow Volkswagen permission to appeal is a clear indication that the court is overwhelmingly likely to rule in their favour. In refusing Volkswagen’s permission to appeal, the experienced judge described their arguments as ‘completely irrelevant, hopeless and highly flawed’, demonstrating that Volkswagens defence is not robust enough for the High Court.
The news is encouraging for claimants who have and are looking to join the group litigation with Versus Law against Mercedes-Benz. The settlement brings optimism to all affected owners. Versus Law now looks forward to achieving a good result for Mercedes drivers who have joined our group claim in the UK. However, there is still time for other Mercedes drivers who believe their cars may have been similarly affected, to join the claim.
Covid-19 Update
We would like to update you on our policies and procedures whilst we tackle the Coronavirus outbreak in this country and worldwide. For us, the safety of our clients and staff is paramount and we will continue to monitor the Government website which can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/coronavirus-covid-19-uk-government-response
We would like to assure all of our clients that we have a policy in place so that we will be able to continue working on your matter without serious interruption.
Currently, our office is still open and no one is symptomatic or is known to have been in contact with someone who is. If the situation changes, our team are able to work remotely from home enabling us to continue to support you. Even in the unlikely event that a decision is taken to close our office, the progression of your matter should not be affected.
COMMUNICATION AND CLIENT MEETINGS |
For the time being, we will continue to meet our clients face to face where it is necessary and sensible to do so. However, we would encourage our clients, particularly those who are elderly, to use alternate means of communication if a face to face meeting is not essential – please see the various ways you can contact us below.
We would specifically request that any potential visitors to our office that have travelled to any of the category 1 countries or those that are showing symptoms or have been in contact with someone who has contracted the virus, please make contact with us via email, WhatsApp or telephone and we will be pleased to assist you.
Property Clients
For all of our property clients, if you wish to contact us by email please use the property@versuslaw.co.uk email address, quoting your reference in the subject line if known, otherwise providing enough information for us to identify you. This will ensure that your email is dealt with as quickly as possible and is passed to the appropriate person.
All other clients
Please email us at info@versuslaw.co.uk, quoting your reference in the subject line if known, otherwise providing enough information for us to identify you.
Other ways of contacting us
Our telephone lines will be operational even if our office is forced to close. Our telephone number is 01612495087. Additionally, we also are contactable via Whatsapp on 07900365247.
THIRD PARTIES |
As you will be aware, we may be reliant on other companies or government organisations for the smooth progression of your matter. We are hopeful that they too will have continuity plans in place to ensure that they are still operational throughout any periods of disruption. If we are made aware of any issues which may affect your matter, we will notify you.
HOW YOUR MATTER MAY BE AFFECTED |
Our staff will be monitoring the situation very carefully in accordance with the type of matter that we are assisting you with.
For many matters, the progression should be unaffected. However, some matters such as property transactions may be affected, particularly if completion is disrupted by self-isolation issues or some other form of disruption.
We continue to take guidance on these issues from the Law Society and the UK Government and will keep our clients updated.
The purpose of this communication is not to scare anyone or cause panic, but to reassure all of our clients that we have procedures in place to ensure it remains business as usual at Versus Law during these uncertain times.
If you should have any particular queries that are not answered in this communication, please contact us.
S Hussain
Anita dealt with my flight delay claim; the service received was exceptional. She kept me up to date with timescales and guided me in the process making it so simple, and any questions or queries were always dealt with promptly. Overall, an amazing service, very professional and definitely would recommend
P Godfrey
Many thanks to Anita and all the staff at Versuslaw, they made my flight compensation claim for delay a breeze. I would highly recommend them