Court relies on Professor Bob Klonoff’s expertise in VW class action case

Professor and Former Dean Bob Klonoff has been serving as an expert for the plaintiffs in the class action lawsuit against Volkswagen. The car maker is being sued by the federal government and owners of its “clean diesel” cars which VW outfitted with technology that defeated emissions-testing equipment. Klonoff’s written testimony was submitted by plaintiffs in support of the settlement between the plaintiffs and VW.

The class settlement, which requires VW to fix or buy back the affected cars, was presented to U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer of San Francisco. VW has also agreed to resolve civil claims by the U.S. Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission, in addition to the buyback program. Further, VW has agreed to pay billions of dollars in both environmental remediation and zero emissions vehicle technology. On October 25, 2016, the court issued an opinion approving the settlement.

In its opinion, the court relied heavily upon the testimony of Professor Klonoff, quoting and citing his testimony several times. The court’s ruliing is summarized in an article in Fortune.com.