Fairness in Class Action Litigation Act, sponsored by Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.)

[BoyNextDoor]

Here is an example of the Grand Old Party's new type of public policy: Screw you if you are a living breathing American and not a Corporation

Using an increasingly typical practice of naming the bill for precisely the OPPOSITE of the impact it would have if passed, the so-called Fairness in Class Action Litigation Act is a gift to Volskwagon. There are class action lawsuits forming all across the country in response to VW's illegal practices where they wrote and deployed software to their vehicles specifically designed to defeat the computers that regulate auto emissions.

Consumer affairs calls it the "VW Bail Out Bill".

From Lori Andrus, a San Francisco attorney who is representing Volkswagen customers in one of the pending lawsuits. "It's parading as fixing an injustice," she said. "Really, it's just protecting corporations from their bad behavior." (Mother Jones)

This is what you get when you vote Republican in the US.

 

[phrodeau]

Being defrauded is damaging.

 

[BoyNextDoor]

Meanwhile, VW is also facing a torrent of outrage from some of the folks who bought those cars, which include the diesel-powered versions of Jetta and Golf models made since 2009. A court in Northern California is scheduled to decide this month whether to hear a group of more than 350 class-action lawsuits from VW customers who feel they were misled about the environmental benefits of the cars before buying them.

I read the Mother Jones article and I'm still not sure 'why' they're suing? Are they pissed because they got 19 miles a gallon versus the 20 Volkswagon advertised? Normally you have to have suffered some sort of damages..... What injury have they suffered? A few pennies per gallon? That's worth suing over?? And what if they bought it used or from a private person who didn't make any claims over gas mileage?

Skeptical. Lottery by lawsuit...at best.

Now the Federal gov't should stick it to them and fine the crap out of them.

The whole point is to let the courts decide. How is that so difficult to understand?

 

[Iceprincess12]

The whole point is to let the courts decide. How is that so difficult to understand?

The dinner party crowd doesn't like the environment thrown back in their faces. They thought saving the earth was as easy as buying a car and no more effort was required. This shoves all the crow down their throats and the only way to make it right is to have all the blame laid on VW.

Milking feigned outrage helps keep the social order of "I care more about the environment because I can afford to vs you're poor" intact.

Vw should be fined for misrepresentation, send out a recall to fix the issue or restate actual numbers, offering to buy carbon credits for the amount of environmental damage our precious earth suffered and make a huge donation to a worthless environmental group. Then they can unveil their newly redesigned vehicle that is 100% environmentally safe-a bicycle. Free helmet if you trade in your car for it.

 

[phrodeau]

How were they defrauded?? Can they prove they would have bought another vehicle if the mileage per gallon was 18...vs 22. (I'm guessing at the difference.)

Establishing their injury and determining how to make them 'whole' seems impossible.

Their customers were defrauded because they were led to believe that the cars could legally pass emissions tests. If they had known the truth, the honest ones would have purchased different vehicles.

It has nothing to do with the mileage or the environment.

 

[Hypoxia]

Ever bought anything on eBay? Ever bought something and what you got ain't what was listed? Ever gotten a NOT AS REPRESENTED refund? That's what this is about. VW said they were selling something but what they sold was different. That is fraud. Go to jail.

We just spent much $$$ on a brand-new sophisticated housecar built on the turbodiesel Mercedes Sprinter platform. The invoice lists one major option but it has something else. I.e. what they sold us was NOT AS REPRESENTED. The maker (Thor) is OBLIGATED to replace that option with the one listed.

Many suckers bought little VW diesels because of their falsified specs. What they bought was NOT AS REPRESENTED. How does that differ from illegal bait-and-switch? It's fraud.

I guess the OP story shows that certain GOP pols like fraud.

 

[JackLuis]

Congress, protecting Corporatism for 200 Years!

 

[BoyNextDoor]

It is not just about VW. The BP oil spill resulted in shrimp boats crews being able to sue under a class action. Forget about if you think they they had a case or not, they would not have been able to even bring the case if this law were in effect before the spill.

It is already difficult to bring a class action and the SJC has rejected some recent efforts by saying the the group of litigants did not constitute a "class". So fine.

I am saying there is no need to fuck with a system that has already achieved a delicate balance. This proposed new public policy would make an unnecessary and dramatic shift in favor of the corporation over the litigants.

About the specific VW thing, let the courts decided if they are a class and if so, how a dollar value should be assigned to it. If not, the case does not go forward. There is already well established law. That is the whole point of the courts. No public policy change is needed.