Edwin Coe, London’s leading class action firm, takes on truck manufacturers for claimants seeking damages from those who entered into a price fixing cartel.

Five truck manufacturers, MAN, Volvo/Renault, Daimler, Iveco and DAF, have admitted to the European Commission that they participated in a price fixing cartel against purchasers of their trucks from 1997 until 2011. There has also been a finding against a sixth manufacturer, Scania, by the European Commission.

Edwin Coe first issued a claim on behalf of clients in the High Court in 2018. The firm recently issued two more claims in the High Court on behalf of further clients in November 2020. Edwin Coe acts for over 125 clients, belonging to a variety of different industries and sectors.

The team dealing with the claims is considering making further claims on behalf of clients. If you or your business bought, leased or outsourced trucks weighing 6 tonnes or more, here or in Europe, between 1997 and 2011 (the cartel period), you will have a claim.

Edwin Coe has funding in place, which means you can pursue your claim without cost or risk, subject to assessment of the claim. If you or your business bought or leased 50 or more new trucks between 1997 and 2012, please get in touch as soon as possible.

European Commission’s findings

The European Commission has found that the six companies, which together account for around nine out of every 10 medium and heavy trucks produced in Europe, colluded for some 14 years on truck pricing, and on the passing on of compliance costs with strict emission rules. The investigation related specifically to the market for trucks weighing 6 tonnes or more. The Commission’s investigation found that the various companies coordinated prices, the timing of the introduction of emission technologies, as well as the passing on to customers of the cost of the emission technologies. Five of the six cartelists have admitted their involvement.

Any companies which purchased, leased or used in their business medium and/or heavy trucks during the infringement period (1997 – 2011), or shortly thereafter, will have a claim for damages and interest.

Nature of the claim

Companies could have a claim in damages in relation to the difference between the higher price that was paid by them as a result of the cartel, and the purchase price of trucks that would have been payable, had there been no cartel. It is estimated that some 10 million trucks were sold across the EU during this period and that each one may have been overpriced by up to £10,000.

Below you will find a link to the European Commission’s press release from July 2016 confirming the conclusion of the investigation.

http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-16-2582_en.htm

Although this is a claim brought about by the results of a European Commission investigation, your case will not be affected by Brexit.