Backhouse Jones to take on truck manufacturers in £2bn legal case

Clitheroe-based law firm Backhouse Jones has been appointed by the Road Haulage Association to seek £2bn in damages from a group of truck manufacturers over claims that operators purchasing vehicles were overcharged.

The action relates to a 14-year period during which the European Commission has said that five major European manufacturing groups breached competition law.

The commission estimated that 9 out of 10 trucks on the roads in Europe were subject to a "cartel", and more than 18,000 truck operators have signed up to the claim.

Backhouse Jones, working with Addleshaw Goddard has been granted a Collective Proceedings Order by the Competition Appeal Tribunal on behalf of the association.

The claim is the UK's first ever 'opt-in' class action under the new collective actions regime established by the Consumer Rights Act (2015).

Backhouse Jones specialises in road transport cases. Steven Meyerhoff, director at Backhouse Jones, who acts for the RHA, said: "This ruling is a significant milestone that allows us to move forward to secure the compensation that truck operators have long awaited.

"The RHA truck cartel litigation is now in its seventh year – it’s a by-product of its pioneering nature which has seen the case visit the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court on two occasions and set a blueprint for how future litigation of this nature will be conducted."

Truck manufacturers successfully argued to the appeals court that buyers of new trucks may have a conflict of interest with buyers of used trucks, and so the RHA established a separate company, RHA Used Trucks Limited, which has instructed its own legal team, with an information barrier in place.

Richard Smith, managing director of the RHA, said: “We’ve seen off rival cartel claims and navigated many frustrating legal hurdles over that last six years since we issued the claim in 2018. [This ruling] marks a significant landmark and I’d like to thank those who have registered for their patience and perseverance with us over this long journey together."