What have Mercedes done?

Mercedes-Benz parent company, Diamler, is facing legal action across Europe and the US after The German Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) found that they’d installed software into their diesel engines to cheat emissions testing.

The devices allowed Mercedes to provide an inaccurate result during testing on the amount of nitrogen-oxide (NOx) emitted. This reading was in-fact higher when driven by customers on the road and wouldn’t be compliable with EU regulatory requirements.

Having been ordered to recall hundreds of thousands of vehicles to remove the offending software, of which many featured their ‘AdBlue technology which Mercedes claimed would reduce NOx emissions, many customers who’ve purchased one of the Mercedes diesel models are feeling misled and angered by the manufacturers actions.

What is the cost of joining the Mercedes emissions claim?

We're acting on a Conditional Fee Arrangement ('No Win, No Fee' agreement)*. This means there's no cost to join the claim and in the event the claim is lost, you'll not owe any money to us or Mercedes.

If the claim is won, a final deduction of up to 30% plus VAT and the cost of the After the Event Insurance is taken from the compensation you're awarded to cover the cost of your lawyers, funder and insurer.

Full details regarding costs and liability are provided in the information pack included in the joining process for the claim. Once you’ve registered your interest, we’ll invite you to join the Mercedes claim.

*If your claim is unsuccessful, we will not ask you to pay or contribute to our legal costs provided that you have followed the terms of the signed CFA. There may be scenarios where you are liable to meet the charges even if you do not win. An example of this would be where you stop instructing us or provide us with information that you know to be false or misleading.

How much is the Mercedes emissions claim worth?

We’re not able to comment at this stage on the amount of compensation you’ll receive if the claim is won. Compensation may be specific to the age and model of the vehicle you’re claiming for and to determine this, we’ll need to obtain expert evidence. Having said that, we do think that you may have suffered financial loss due to acquiring an affected vehicle. We expect that the losses for an average vehicle in the claim will be several thousand pounds at least.

Where is the Mercedes-Benz emissions claim up to?

Our dieselgate experts have made great progress, issuing thousands of claims in the High Court in England and Wales for those who’ve chosen us to act on their behalf in the fight for Mercedes compensation.

We expect that time limits will soon be set of when we need to file specific statements at court and will notify those who’ve joined the claim with Slater and Gordon of any deadlines, they may be subject to in order to submit your claim in time.

We’ve also secured funding for the claim through our partnership with Asertis to support the progress and resources of our Mercedes-Benz claim.

Can I bring claims for more than one Mercedes vehicle?

Yes.

I no longer own my Mercedes vehicle, can I still bring a claim?

It would assist your claim if you can obtain the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) and a copy of the log book showing you as the registered keeper.

Do I have to have purchased my car through Mercedes-Benz Financial Services UK Limited (MBFSUK) to have a valid claim?

It’s not necessary to have purchased your car through MBFSUK to have a viable claim.

The reason we ask for information regarding the finance provider is because people who purchased via MBFSUK may have additional claims against the MBFSUK.

Can I bring a claim if I bought my Mercedes vehicle on finance?

Yes, you can bring a claim provided that you leased an affected vehicle, you’re the registered keeper, and the finance agreement is in your name. You can make a Mercedes-Benz diesel claim if you financed your vehicle with:

• Hire Purchase
• PCP (Personal Contract Purchase)
• PCH (Personal Contract Hire)
• Lease

Can I claim against Mercedes if my vehicle is leased?

Yes, you can bring a claim provided that you leased an affected vehicle, you’re the registered keeper, and the finance agreement is in your name.

Can I bring a claim if I have a company Mercedes vehicle?

If your vehicle is a company car you may bring your claim if you owned the vehicle outright or leased it and you’re named as the registered keeper. If you’re unsure please provide the documents confirming whether you own/owned the car: invoice, lease, finance agreement to MercedesEmissions@slatergordon.co.uk.

Can I sell the vehicle before my Mercedes diesel claim is finished?

Yes, you’re still eligible to be a claimant even if you’ve planned to sell your vehicle once proceedings have been issued. It would assist your claim if you can obtain the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) and copies of any documents you hold such as the finance agreement or invoice along with the identity of the purchaser of your vehicle and price sold for.

I live outside England and Wales. Am I still able to join the Mercedes emission claim?

You’ll be able to join the Mercedes diesel claim if you purchased or leased your vehicle in England and Wales and its one of the affected models. If you purchased or leased your vehicle in Scotland you’ll be able to join a claim through our associated company Slater and Gordon Scotland Limited.

I purchased my vehicle in Scotland, can I still bring a claim?

If you purchased or leased an affected vehicle in Scotland our associated company Slater and Gordon Scotland Limited will be running a separate claim.

I have registered my interest on your website. What happens next?

We’ve currently issuing thousands of claims in the High Court in England and Wales on behalf of affected Mercedes vehicle owners. Once your eligibility has been confirmed, we’ll ask you to agree to various documentation agreeing to how the litigation will be run (called a Litigation Management Agreement) and to delegate your Authority to a Claimant Committee – a group of claimants who’ll represent the entire group of claimants in this action. The documents will also include our terms of business and fee arrangement, which will be on a ‘No Win No Fee’ basis.

At the next step, you’ll be asked to complete a questionnaire about your vehicle. For that, we suggest you have to hand you log book (V5C), your purchase/lease invoice and any finance agreements with Mercedes-Benz Financial Services. Once you’ve completed that, we’ll review your information and will contact you if we need anything further.

Once you’ve registered, we’ll keep you updated with correspondence on your claim.

Please note: you cannot sign up with more than one law firm to claim for the same vehicle. If you do so, there’s a risk that more than one firm will issue your claim at court. This is considered an abuse of the court process and may expose you to pay costs.