Trial Attorney Paul Hanly of Simmons Hanly Conroy to Speak on Volkswagen Fuel Emissions Fraud at HarrisMartin Conference

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Sep 29, 2015, 04:39 ET

NEW YORK, Sept. 29, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Paul Hanly, a trial attorney and named shareholder of Simmons Hanly Conroy, one of the nation's largest mass torts firms, is set to speak at HarrisMartin's MDL conference in Manhattan on Sept. 30 about the legal implications surrounding Volkswagen's recent admission it circumvented federal air pollution emissions standards. With Hanly as lead counsel, last week Simmons Hanly Conroy filed two class action lawsuits against Volkswagen on behalf of clients nationwide.

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Hanly and six other attorneys will participate in a panel titled "Volkswagen Diesel Fuel Emissions Fraud." The panel will discuss class action claims for both auto purchasers and dealers and will feature an overview of lessons learned in recent litigations against Toyota, General Motors and BP. Hanly has more than 30 years of experience as a trial lawyer and has litigated, managed and tried numerous complex jury cases throughout the United States in virtually all areas of civil litigation.

On Sept. 20, Volkswagen admitted it installed so-called "defeat device" software in over 11 million diesel vehicles worldwide. The affected vehicles include various model years, ranging from 2009 to 2015, of Volkswagen Jettas, Golfs, Passats, Beetles and the Audi A3. According to a Notice of Violation (NOV) issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the "defeat device" allows these vehicles to release "safe" emissions when undergoing tests, but release nitrogen oxides at up to 40 times the legal amount during normal operations.

"Volkswagen has made serious errors with far-reaching consequences in defrauding and deceiving the public through its actions," said Hanly. "Our clients have suffered significant losses by purchasing these affected Volkswagen vehicles. Had they known their vehicles emit 40 times the federally allowed levels of pollution, they would not have bought them or certainly would have paid much less. In addition, when the issues are addressed through recalls, these vehicles will lose even more value due to the expected decrease in their performance and efficiency."

Simmons Hanly Conroy was a leader in the litigation against Toyota when the vehicle manufacturer announced recalls on over 2.3 million vehicles due to serious injuries involving incidents of sudden unintended acceleration. Named shareholder Jayne Conroy was appointed to the lead counsel committee engaged in economic loss claims within the litigation. In 2012, Toyota agreed to settle the class action brought by Simmons Hanly Conroy clients and others, resulting in a total value of $1.1 billion.

Joining Hanly in speaking at HarrisMartin's MDL Conference are attorneys Neil Overholtz, Bryan Aylstock, Paul Pennock, Hunter Shkolnik, Richard Arsenault and Eric Holland. The conference will be held at the Crown Plaza Times Square in Manhattan.

About Simmons Hanly Conroy

Simmons Hanly Conroy is one of the nation's largest mass tort law firms and has recovered more than $5 billion in verdicts and settlements for plaintiffs. Primary areas of litigation include asbestos and mesothelioma, pharmaceutical, consumer protection, environmental and personal injury. The firm's attorneys have been appointed to leadership in numerous national multidistrict litigations, including Vioxx, Yaz and Toyota Unintended Acceleration. The firm also represents small and mid-size corporations, inventors and entrepreneurs in matters involving intellectual property infringement and business litigation. Offices are located in New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, St. Louis, and Alton, Ill. Read more at www.simmonsfirm.com.

SOURCE Simmons Hanly Conroy