DALLAS – On May 30, Baron & Budd announced it is investigating potential lawsuits related to recent allegations that General Motors installed “defeat devices” on more than 705,000 GM Duramax branded diesel trucks.
As a result of this alleged manipulation, GM’s top-selling Silverado and Sierra pickups may generate two-to-five times more pollution in day-to-day use than in emission certification testing environments, according to a press release.
To meet environmental standards, any trucks that have “defeat devices” will require modifications that could reduce horsepower, torque and fuel efficiency.
GM is the fifth auto manufacturer to be accused of cheating on diesel emissions since the Volkswagen diesel emission scandal in 2015. Other manufacturers accused of cheating on diesel emissions tests include Mercedes-Benz, Fiat Chrysler, Peugeot, and Renault.
“It is truly disheartening that after four carmakers have been put in the spotlight for allegedly evading emissions tests, we have reason to believe that one of the largest U.S. auto manufacturers may have engaged in the same manipulation,” said Roland Tellis, a Baron & Budd attorney. “Consumers have many choices when purchasing vehicles, and recent allegations suggest that environmentally-conscious consumers were seriously misled when they selected a GM pickup with a Duramax engine.”
Tellis was appointed to the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee in the Volkswagen “Clean Diesel” case, a multi-state class action involving hundreds of thousands of vehicles equipped with “defeat devices” designed to evade emissions laws.
Additionally, Tellis is one of three lawyers appointed to the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee in a multi-state class action lawsuit against Takata involving tens of millions of vehicles equipped with a defective airbag inflator.