Owners of BMW cars or vans that were manufactured between the years 2007 and 2018 could be eligible to receive Dieselgate compensation. Experts say that millions of UK drivers can get as much as £12,000 each because of the carmaker’s use of illegal defeat devices for cheating emissions tests.
This developed after the Volkswagen Group settled an agreement worth £193 million over diesel emissions claims. Around 90,000 drivers are expected to receive compensation. Car owners brought the carmaker to court after authorities alleged that Audi and VW diesel vehicles were fitted with cheat devices and violated emissions regulations.
Vehicles with defeat devices pollute the air. They’re even sold at a premium price despite them not being emissions-compliant.
A VW Group representative said that the settlement is not an admission of guilt and that the company is confident that this development is a significant step in the litigation that has been ongoing for years since the Dieselgate scandal first broke. It’s also the more practical option compared to going through a long and challenging court process.
For BMW car owners, VW’s settlement is proof that they can receive compensation for the emissions scandal as well. Experts encourage them to check if they are qualified to make an emissions claim.
Defeat devices
The defeat devices found in BMW, Volkswagen, and other carmakers are programmed to know when a vehicle is in regulatory testing so that they could temporarily tone down emissions.
Inside the lab and with the devices, regulators see a vehicle that’s high-performing. However, reality sets in once the vehicle is taken out and driven on real roads. Since defeat devices cause the vehicle they’re installed in to revert to its default settings, the car or van starts to release excessive volumes of nitrogen oxide emissions. Nitrogen oxide, or NOx, is a group of gases that have adverse effects on the environment and life-changing impacts on a person’s health.
Carmakers use the defeat devices to pass regulatory emissions tests, so their vehicles would appear emissions-compliant. By using the device, though, they lie to their customers and get to mis-sell the vehicles at a premium price.
The deceit and inconvenience carmakers give their customers are reasons for bringing an emissions claim against them.
NOx emissions
Another reason why BMW vehicle owners should make a diesel claim against the manufacturer is nitrogen oxide emissions.
As a highly reactive gas containing NO or nitric oxide and NO2 or nitrogen dioxide, NOx reacts when mixed with other elements. It also produces pollutants such as ground-level ozone, as well as smog and acid rain. All three are proven to adversely impact ecosystems, forests, aquatic life forms, soils, and freshwater systems. Ground-level ozone weakens plants and crops so these are easily subjected to frost and damage.
A person with mental health issues must not be exposed to nitrogen oxide emissions; otherwise, their cognitive abilities are affected. This can lead to Alzheimer’s disease or other types of dementia.
What makes nitrogen oxide emissions life-threatening is their health impacts, which can range from mild to serious, depending on the level of exposure.
If you’ve been breathing in NOx emissions but the amount is fairly low, the most common effects are difficulty in breathing, fluid developing in the lungs and other lung problems, increased asthma attacks, and various respiratory conditions such as bronchitis and emphysema. You may also experience dizziness, nausea, and vomiting.
High-level exposure to NOx emissions has serious consequences. Asphyxiation (suffocation or being deprived of oxygen) and laryngospasm (your vocal cords involuntarily contract) can occur. NOx emissions can reduce your lung function and also increase your risk for cancer and cardiovascular diseases.
The most devastating impact NOx emissions have on a person is premature death. Over the years, air pollution has become a primary cause of premature deaths and is now considered just as deadly, or even more dangerous, than cigarette smoking.
In the UK, the first case of premature death due to air pollution happened in 2013, after young Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah died after a severe asthma attack. She lived in south London, near the South Circular Road, which is one of the most polluted areas of the country. The coroner formally announced air pollution as the cause of Ella’s early death in December 2020 after an inquest.
These environmental and health impacts are even more reasons for affected BMW car owners to bring their carmakers to court for a BMW emissions claim.
Who is eligible to claim?
If you own or owned a BMW that you suspect has a defeat device, the first thing you should do is verify if you are qualified to make a diesel claim. There are several requirements to adhere to, so it is vital to get in touch with your manufacturer.
You should also visit the Emissions.co.uk website before you start processing your diesel emissions claim to ensure that you are moving in the right direction.
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