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Dieselgate motorists in search of compensation boosted by EU court

(EurActiv, 2 Apr 2020) EU consumers should be able to sue carmakers in their national courts if they have bought cars with emission cheat devices installed, an adviser to the Court of Justice of the European Union said on Thursday (2 April).

The opinion, if followed by Europe’s top court, raises the possibility that Volkswagen could face masses of legal complaints from consumers across the European Union. Contacted by Reuters, VW had no immediate comment.

The case followed a request from an Austrian court handling a claim by the Austrian consumer association VKI on behalf of 574 owners of manipulated vehicles. The court wanted to know if it had jurisdiction to hear the case.

Advocate general Campos Sanchez-Bordona said the general rule was that applicants should sue in courts where the defendant is domiciled. However, in cases of tort there was also the possibility of suing in the courts of the place where a harmful event occurred.

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EurActiv, 2 Apr 2020: Dieselgate motorists in search of compensation boosted by EU court

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