In an interview for Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung, outside attorney Kenneth Feinberg said that Volkswagen would keep its promise to offer compensation packages for approximately 600,000 U.S. owners of diesel vehicles involved in the notorious Dieselgate scandal. The thing is, the German manufacturer hasn’t yet decided on the compensation solution that will be adopted in the U.S.: cash, buybacks, repairs or replacement cars.
As some of our readers may already know by now, Kenneth Feinberg is an ace in mediation and alternative dispute resolution. He’s so good that Feinberg was appointed Special Master of the government’s September 11 Victim Compensation Fund. Other highlights of his career include Special Master for TARP Executive Compensation, administrator of the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon Disaster Victim Compensation Fund, as well as administrator for the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings One Fund.
His most recent success story had him oversee the compensation fund for victims of the 2014 General Motors ignition switch scandal. After his contract with General Motors expired, Volkswagen’s higher-ups took note of this man’s talent. Unsurprisingly, Kenneth Feinberg accepted to create and administer the compensation program for those affected by the Dieselgate scandal.
According to the previously mentioned report, Feinberg’s plan of setting up the claims fund within two to three months is facing delays. The reason for this unsought setback? “My hands are tied as long as Volkswagen and the authorities have not overcome their differences,” declared Feinberg.
Put simply, it’s been more than four months since the scandal broke in the United States of America, but Volkswagen still hasn’t won approval to fix any of those U.S.-spec cars because regulators rejected Volkswagen’s original fix for the 2.0 TDI cars equipped with the so-called emission defeat devices.
Feinberg has yet to decide if he will consider claims that the NOx emissions damaged the claimants’ health. “I’m inclined to decline that and tell such people they should sue Volkswagen if they want to,” he declared.
His most recent success story had him oversee the compensation fund for victims of the 2014 General Motors ignition switch scandal. After his contract with General Motors expired, Volkswagen’s higher-ups took note of this man’s talent. Unsurprisingly, Kenneth Feinberg accepted to create and administer the compensation program for those affected by the Dieselgate scandal.
According to the previously mentioned report, Feinberg’s plan of setting up the claims fund within two to three months is facing delays. The reason for this unsought setback? “My hands are tied as long as Volkswagen and the authorities have not overcome their differences,” declared Feinberg.
Put simply, it’s been more than four months since the scandal broke in the United States of America, but Volkswagen still hasn’t won approval to fix any of those U.S.-spec cars because regulators rejected Volkswagen’s original fix for the 2.0 TDI cars equipped with the so-called emission defeat devices.
Feinberg has yet to decide if he will consider claims that the NOx emissions damaged the claimants’ health. “I’m inclined to decline that and tell such people they should sue Volkswagen if they want to,” he declared.