Volkswagen to appeal emissions ruling to US Supreme Court

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Volkswagen, which is now subject to Ohio anti-tampering laws that carry the potential of hundreds of billions of dollars in damages, wants time to stop a state lawsuit seeking such damages, the automaker said in a recent court filing.

At issue is the 2015 scandal in which the automaker was found to have rigged its vehicles to cheat U.S. diesel emissions tests.

The company ultimately paid more than $33 billion in fines and settlements.

In the wake of the scandal, the Ohio Attorney General’s Office sued the company, alleging Volkswagen’s conduct — affecting about 14,000 vehicles sold or leased in Ohio — violated the state’s anti-air pollution law.

The Ohio Supreme Court ruled last month that the federal Clean Air Act does not preclude Ohio from seeking its own compensation against Volkswagen. State Attorney General Dave Yost successfully argued the federal law doesn’t stop Ohio from suing over emissions test tampering that occurred after new cars were sold.

Ohio is seeking damages that could total $127 billion a year over multiple years, the company noted in its filing. The company asked the state Supreme Court last Thursday to delay its ruling while Volkswagen appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court. Yost’s office is not objecting to the delay.