More than 100 Volkswagen owners join Winnipeg class action lawsuit
VW intentionally violated clean air standards, United States EPA says
The number of people signing on to a class action lawsuit against Volkswagen is growing in Manitoba.
Recently it was discovered the German automaker installed software on 11 million diesel vehicles worldwide that enabled them to cheat emissions tests and evade Environmental Protection Agency standards.
Winnipeg lawyer Norman Boudreau filed a class action suit on behalf of local VW owners in Court of Queen's Bench on Sept. 23.
Boudreau has gathered more than 100 signatures for the suit in the last week.
"The numbers are very high in my opinion," said Boudreau. "People that are interested enough to pick up the phone or send us an email and actively want to be part of this class action.... I think it's very positive, very encouraging."
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Most of the people to have come forward in Manitoba are from Winnipeg. Some VW owners from outside of the province have also joined Boudreau's suit, he said.
VW value questioned
Many VW owners are growing concerned about the value of their vehicles, Boudreau said.
"They still have their vehicle. There is some value in what they purchased," Boudreau said. "Everybody is not going to get a brand new car. Certainly it will be a monetary compensation."
Beyond the value of the vehicles, owners who purchased VWs based on their apparent emissions record are irked by the nature of the scandal.
"A lot of people are concerned with respect to the environment," Boudreau said. "That they had consciously bought the Volkswagen vehicle thinking that they were going to contribute positively to have a clean environment and now they're disappointed in that."
Bourdeau said that while other class action lawsuits are popping up across Canada, it could take months for them to get certified. Some may even end up getting settled out of court, he added.