Class-Action Diesel Lawsuit Against Daimler, Bosch to Proceed

A federal judge in New Jersey has denied motions by Daimler AG and Robert Bosch GmbH to dismiss a class-action lawsuit that claims the two companies conspired to evade U.S. diesel emission laws.

The ruling allows the 3-year-old case to proceed, Automotive News reports. Plaintiffs claim the companies developed an electronic “defeat device” for Daimler’s Mercedes-Benz diesels to pass certification tests for nitrogen oxides but emit as much as 19 times the allowable limit of NOx under real-world driving conditions.

The defendants insist the claims have no merit and note that the ruling by Chief District Judge Jose Linares notes some shortcomings in the charges.

But the judge ruled that the companies, who touted the diesels as “the world’s cleanest and most advanced,” had a duty to disclose that the engines failed to live up to that claim. The lawsuit was filed by Hagens Berman, a law firm involved in similar action against Volkswagen AG that resulted in a $14.7 billion settlement deal in 2016.

AN notes that Bosch previously agreed to settle complaints without accepting liability or admitting guilt that it “enabled” diesels made by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and VW to dodge emission rules.