US dealerships owner sues Volkswagen over diesel emissions scandal

The owner of three US Volkswagen dealerships filed a lawsuit against the German automaker on Wednesday over its massive diesel emissions scandal, along with pricing and distribution practices.

The suit filed in federal court in Illinois is the first brought by a VW franchise dealer over the automaker´s admitted use of software that allowed nearly 600,000 vehicles to emit up to 40 times legally allowable pollution, a lawyer for owner of the dealerships said.

A Volkswagen spokeswoman did not immediately comment on the suit filed by the owner of dealerships in Illinois and Florida.

VW also faces lawsuits from the Justice Department, some US states and complaints filed on behalf of hundreds of owners.