Volkswagen – Harter opponents in the US – Süddeutsche.de

Volkswagen is heading for a costly legal dispute with the firm of US star attorney Michael Hausfeld. The will also advertise in Europe to upset VW customers.

From Markus Balser , Berlin

the largest carmaker in Europe headed for a costly legal dispute with the firm of US star attorney Michael Hausfeld to. The Volkswagen management made for information of the Süddeutsche Zeitung a scheduled until Thursday evening deadline for talks to elapse to compensation for European customers. VW have wasted the chance for a swift agreement to achieve with many customers outside of the courts, “said the governor of the firm in Germany, Christopher Rother.

This puts a confrontation with the specialized class action Washington firm closer. Because prepares the struggle for compensation for European VW customers already legal steps before: “for the preparation of the first actions we will need half a year. In October or November, it could be so far, “Rother said. The firm wants to” make compensation directly at VW claims “. The claim of the customer can per vehicle” will be five to ten percent of the purchase price “.

the Group is about a billion-dollar compensation

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It is a threat with great force. The firm Hausfeld claims to represent high-profile clients in various fields. These include operators of VW fleets that partially have or have had thousands of affected vehicles in inventory. the firm claims to thousands private VW owners addition represents. She wants to start in the coming weeks a registration campaign on the Internet to win in Europe more clients in a big way. Because so far VW is ready only in the United States to pay customers compensation of 1,000 dollars. German customers, however, will get nothing. In a new letter to VW CEO Matthias Müller, the firm is now presenting to again: “We deeply regret that you have chosen … the discussion is not to lead us,” write Hausfeld and Rother

.

the firm stepping up its efforts and has in VW requested further information and requested access to the file in the documents with the Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht (BaFin). For VW, but also for the German judiciary, the activities could be unpleasant. Among companies in the Washington law Hausfeld is considered extremely tough opponent. He specializes in class actions and both represent the forced laborers of the Nazi era, victims of oil spills and applicants against the tobacco industry and each fought for billions for the clients.

If the firm through, it’s for the group to a multibillion compensation. The justice then threaten thousands individual actions in court, because class actions as in the US there is not on land. The firm hopes within the VW affair to a rethink. “The rule of law is brought to its limits with the affair,” says Rother. “What would the courts going, when all two million affected German customers would complain individually? In our view, the possibility would relieve for a class action and the judiciary.”