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US firm jumps on Hino class action
A major US plaintiff firm has joined forces with Gerard Malouf & Partners as part of the ongoing Hino class action case.
Lauren Croft
Gerard Malouf & Partners (GMP Law) has entered a co-counsel arrangement with Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein LLP (LCHB) in relation to the action against Toyota subsidiary Hino Motors Australia and parent company Hino Motors Limited.
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The claim, which seeks compensation for purchasers of Hino vehicles over a 20-year period, represents all purchasers or lessees of affected Hino vehicles in Australia, which were the subject of misconduct in relation to the certification in Japan from as early as 2003.
The law firm began investigating the class action in August, following reports that parent company Hino Motors Japan falsified emissions and fuel economy data — affecting at least 115,526 trucks sold since 2016.
LCHB is currently running parallel legal proceedings against Hino USA and Hino Japan in Federal Court in the US, in the Southern District of Florida.
The misconduct has now been admitted by the companies in respect to numerous Hino vehicles.
GMP Law claims that the misconduct in relation to emissions and fuel economy of Hino vehicles has caused not only financial loss to consumers of these vehicles but also environmental damage and damage to human health through excess emissions.
David Cossalter, managing partner of GMP Law, said that the two firms would work together on the US and Australian proceedings.
“This is a significant win for consumers affected by Hino,” he said.
“The two firms with parallel proceedings against Hino working together will create synergies that better support both cases and achieve better outcomes for all those affected by Hino’s appalling misconduct, in Australia and the US.”
Additionally, proceedings have been filed in the Supreme Court of Victoria against Toyota Motor Corporation Australia Limited for alleged tampering with emissions control systems to improve the performance of diesel engines.
That class action, dubbed “one of the biggest claims in Australia’s legal history” could result in up to half a million eligible vehicle owners receiving tens of thousands of dollars in compensation, according to the law firm running the case, Maddens.
