A federal judge in California will permit a U.S. investor class action lawsuit against German automaker Daimler and a number of senior executives to continue over accusations the company did not disclose excess emissions.
The automaker faces ongoing investigations by U.S. and German authorities into excess diesel emissions. Last month, German prosecutors browsed Daimler’s workplaces as part of an investigation into diesel pollution.
U.S. District Judge S. James Otero in a ruling submitted Wednesday refused demands by Daimler to dismiss the lawsuit, submitted in 2016 by municipal pension funds and other financiers. He stated he would permit the suit to proceed against Daimler and senior executives Dieter Zetsche, Bodo Uebber and Thomas Weber.
“We think about these class action suits to do not have merit. We will defend ourselves by all legal ways,” Daimler representative Han Tjan stated.
In April, Daimler said investigations by officials of diesel emissions and auxiliary emission control devices could result in significant charges and recalls.
Last month, Daimler stated it had dropped plans to seek U.S. approval to sell 2017 Mercedes-Benz U.S. diesel models however had not decided whether to leave the American passenger diesel market.
There has been growing analysis of diesel vehicles in the United States since Volkswagen confession in September 2015 to setting up secret software on 580,000 U.S. automobiles that enabled them to discharge as much as 40 times legally permitted emissions while meeting standards when checked by regulators.
