A Quebec Superior Court judge has ruled that a class-action lawsuit can proceed against car manufacturer Volkswagen in relation to an emissions-cheating scandal.
In 2016, Volkswagen admitted that it had falsified emissions reports for many of its diesel cars. The automaker installed software in its vehicles that allowed the automobiles to change their performance upon test detection, improving their test results.
Previously, two settlement deals were reached with Ontario and Quebec vehicle owners in 2017 in connection to the cheating. The most recent lawsuit, however, is looking to sue the German car manufacturer on behalf of an entire province.
The provincial environmental group Association québécoise de lutte contre la pollution atmosphérique claims that all residents of Quebec were victims of pollution generated by Volkswagen’s vehicles.
“They see the environment as something very minor but the problems are growing and growing and growing,” said Association québécoise de lutte contre la pollution atmosphérique president André Belisle. “And at some point we have to put our foot down.”
CBC News reported that the organization is seeking $35 in damages for every person who lived in Quebec within the period of January 01, 2009 and September 21, 2015.
About 100,000 of the vehicles outfitted with the duplicitous software were reportedly sold in Canada.
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