Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy has filed a lawsuit in the Northern District of California federal court on behalf of Stanford professors and other owners of Volkswagen diesel cars. The lawsuit alleges that VW knowingly and intentionally manipulated its vehicles’ emissions systems by installing so-called “defeat devices” designed to evade mandatory periodic state emissions testing. “VW’s scheme to deceive the public is a by-product of a corporate culture of arrogance – thinking they’re too smart to get caught lying about their ability to produce fuel efficient, clean vehicles without sacrificing performance,” said Frank Pitre, one of the attorneys for the professors. “These increased emissions increase pollution into the environment and cause health risks,” added Nancy Fineman, another attorney.
