German court ruling clears the way to settle VW diesel cases

A German court has ruled that Volkswagen must buy back cars from owners of its diesel cars equipped with software that evaded emissions testing but consumers must accept the current value of the car based on the mileage they drove since buying it, not the purchase price.

Volkswagen said the decision announced Monday would clear the way for settlement of remaining consumer claims in Germany.

The decision affects some 60,000 individual claims brought by car owners there; around 262,000 others have already been covered by an 830 million euro (USD 904 million) class-action settlement.

"For the majority of the 60,000 pending cases, this ruling provides clarity," the company said in a statement.

"Volkswagen is now seeking to bring these proceedings to a prompt conclusion in agreement with the plaintiffs. We will therefore approach the plaintiffs with the adequate settlement proposals. The aim is to relieve the burden on the judiciary as quickly as possible."