A judge has signalled his intention to sign off on a $138 million settlement in a class action against IAG and approve a common fund order that gives the litigation funder a $34.5 million commission, but an application by the funder for reimbursement of after-the-event insurance has been refused.
Car giant Toyota, which is facing a class action over allegedly faulty diesel particulate filters in some of its vehicles, has agreed to step up its compliance with consumer laws, including how it communicates with car owners about mechanical issues.
An amicus curiae will be appointed by the court to argue against a common fund order application by the funder backing a class action against two Insurance Australia Group subsidiaries, after the insurance giant agreed to a $138 million settlement last month.
A judge has rejected a bid by car giant Toyota to provide unsolicited submissions to a court-appointed referee tasked with determining technical questions in the case, saying the application was the first he’d ever seen in 30 years.
An error in an opt out notice sent to motorists eligible to sign up for a class action over allegedly defective diesel filters in Toyota vehicles has left a class action law firm on the hook for indemnity costs to cover a new notice to group members.
A judge has granted a mid-trial bid to bring in “potentially quite significant” new evidence in a class action against Ford over its allegedly defective PowerShift transmissions, finding the failure to file the material earlier was not deliberate but a “mistake” on the part of the lead applicant’s solicitors at Corrs Chambers Westgarth.
A judge has criticised the parties for failing to comply with orders made in a class action against Toyota over allegedly defective filters in the car giant’s diesel models, and spent half his weekend preparing new orders for both sides.
The lead applicant in a class action against Ford over its allegedly defective PowerShift transmission broke down after being accused of lying under oath during a heated virtual cross-examination by the car company’s barrister.
The settlement arrangement resolving five class actions against Volkswagen, which carved out hefty legal fees from the $120 million payout to drivers, could become more prevalent as the spotlight is once again trained on the cost of class actions. But the approach is not without controversy, experts say.
A court has granted a request from Grosvenor Litigation Services, the funder that backed two class actions against Volkswagen over its emissions cheating scandal, to suppress the details of a co-funding agreement with Vannin Capital.