Volkswagen Hires Kenneth R. Feinberg to Handle Emissions Claims [News]

2015 VW Jetta TDI
2015 VW Jetta TDI

Volkswagen announced Thursday that they have retained the services of attorney Kenneth R. Feinberg to handle claims regarding the ongoing diesel emissions scandal.

kenneth r. feinbergFeinberg, the managing partner of The Law Offices of Kenneth R. Feinberg, PC, based in Washington, D.C., will put together a claims process to handle all claims regarding diesel emissions.

Volkswagen admitted to putting cheat software in cars equipped with 2.0-liter and 3.0-liter diesel engines that recognized when it was being tested for emissions and changed the engine’s tuning enough to pass the test. During normal driving, the “cheat” was disabled and the car ran with much higher emissions than allowed by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Feinberg has handled claims for other high-profile cases including the General Motors ignition switch recall and the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

The VW emissions scandal has already rocked the company. Former CEO Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn resigned and the company was restructured to allow the North American region more autonomy. Initial estimates state the scandal will cost the company at least $7.3 billion.

TFLcar tested a 2010 VW Jetta TDI to see how much power the car loses when it’s in “cheat mode.” Check out the full video below: