More than one million British motorists are involved in the UK’s largest diesel emissions claim against major manufacturers for using illegal defeat devices. Lawyers from Pogust Goodhead and Leigh Day seek compensation for mis-sold vehicles. At a pre-trial hearing, manufacturers' lawyers criticized the excessive projected legal fees of £76.25 million, claiming it indicates over-lawyering. They highlighted that experienced lead firms are managing the claim and questioned the anticipated resource allocation as disproportionate given the commonality in the case. The full trial is set for October 2023, with a follow-up hearing scheduled for 2026.
The combined costs budget put forward by the claimant firms totalled £76.25 million, including £3.42 million already spent and a further £72.83 million in proposed spending.
Defence lawyers questioned the proportionality of the figure, stating that the claimants anticipate deploying a similar level of resources to all of the separately represented defendant groups combined.
The court is entitled to expect to see significant economies of scale. That is plainly not reflected in the levels of costs claimed across the claimants' budgets.
Lawyers representing British motorists have been accused of 'over-lawyering' in a diesel emissions claim that involves manufacturers like Mercedes-Benz and Ford.
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