Court rules for investors in Volkswagen diesel suit

Legal Compliance

A court in Germany has ruled that Volkswagen's parent company must pay 47 million euros ($54 million) in damages to investors for not making a timely disclosure of its scandal over cars rigged to cheat on diesel emissions tests.

The dpa news agency reported that the Stuttgart court announced the verdict Wednesday against Porsche SE, which holds 52 percent of the voting rights in Volkswagen.

The company said it would appeal and called the claims "without merit."

News of the scandal broke in September 2015 but the plaintiffs argued that Volkswagen's top management knew about the troubles earlier. Former Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn exercised his legal right not to testify.

The case comes in addition to investor suits against Porsche SE and Volkswagen before a court in Braunschweig, Germany. Porsche said it was "convinced that the rulings will not be sustained in a second-instance ruling."

Porsche said higher courts had ruled that the Stuttgart court should have decided the case by its full chamber, not by a single judge. It cited what it said were existing rulings by other courts that proceedings should be stayed while a so-called model case is pending before the Braunschweig court to prevent conflicting decisions on the same issues. Porsche said that the actions "are without merit and the claims raised do not exist."

German securities law requires companies to disclose information that could significantly affect the stock price so that investors can decide whether or not to sell their holdings.

Related listings

  • Court to hear case over ID of Texas execution drug supplier

    Court to hear case over ID of Texas execution drug supplier

    Legal Compliance 10/20/2018

    The Texas Supreme Court has reversed itself and granted the state's request to review a case dealing with the disclosure of an execution drug supplier that officials have fought for years to keep secret.The Texas Supreme Court on Friday approved the ...

  • Manhattan DA drops part of Weinstein case

    Manhattan DA drops part of Weinstein case

    Legal Compliance 10/11/2018

    Manhattan’s district attorney dropped part of the criminal sexual assault case against Harvey Weinstein on Thursday after evidence emerged that cast doubt on the account one of his three accusers provided to the grand jury.The development was a...

  • Trump picks combat over caution in court fight

    Trump picks combat over caution in court fight

    Legal Compliance 09/22/2018

    White House aides and congressional allies worked all week to keep President Donald Trump from unloading on the woman who has accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct.But as Kavanaugh's nomination hung in the balance, Trump ...

What Is Meant by ‘No-Fault’ Workers’ Compensation in Illinois?

If you were injured in a work-related accident and have been researching workers’ compensation, you may have seen it described as a “no-fault” system. One of the most important things to understand about the workers’ compensation system in Illinois is that it is based on a “no-fault” system. What does this mean, exactly?

Most employers in Illinois are required by law to have workers’ compensation insurance. And the workers' compensation in Illinois is a “no-fault” system, which means that any worker who has been hurt on the job is entitled to workers' compensation benefits. If you have been hurt on the job, you are entitled to workers’ compensation benefits no matter whose fault the accident was.

A no-fault insurance system, such as workers’ comp, works by paying claims regardless of who is to blame for an accident. This provides an important layer of protection for injured workers, sparing them from having to through additional litigation and the through the additional burden of proving who was at fault before receiving benefits.

In Illinois, even though you don’t have to prove that your injury was your employer’s fault, you do have to prove that your injury happened at work or as a result of work. If you would like help to file your workers' compensation claim, Krol, Bongiorno, & Given’s experienced workers' comp lawyers are here to help. With over 60 years of combined legal experience, the KBG law firm is a leader in the field of workers’ compensation law and we have earned the reputation as aggressive advocates for injured workers before the IWCC.