Mercedes sets aside $560Bn dollars to pay for the Takata Airbag fixes that a large number of its models require.

Daimler said Thursday it would set aside around 500 million euros ($560 million) this year for the recall of some of its vehicles, which contain airbags made by Takata Corp.

The continued issues surrounding the airbag companies failure to get these faulty airbags replaced is becoming a major hindrance to many brands, and the costs associated with this problem is amounting to many billions of Dollars.

Earlier this month the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration disclosed an extension of the Takata airbag recall, which will take place in the period May 2016 to December 2019 in several stages. 

Daimler said that it was not aware of any cases of defect, but that it would make precautionary recalls in the U.S. and Canada.

"Daimler AG will recognize a provision in the mid hundreds of million euros in the financial year 2016 in connection with the extended recall," the company said, adding that it would not have an impact on its operating profit for the year, which is still seen slightly higher than last year.

A U.S. judge has rejected the first "Bellweather" case over the ignition failure from GM vehicles.

A U.S. judge on Wednesday rejected General Motors' bid to dismiss the first so-called "bellwether" case over defective ignition switches in its vehicles, clearing the way for a Jan. 11 trial.

U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman in Manhattan said the plaintiff, Robert Scheuer, presented enough evidence to justify letting a jury decide whether an alleged ignition-switch defect in his 2003 Saturn Ion caused or enhanced his injuries from a 2014 crash.

Furman also refused to accept GM's argument that Scheuer's claims arising solely from the Detroit-based automaker's conduct following its 2009 bankruptcy failed as a matter of law.

These claims included GM's alleged failure to properly warn Scheuer about the defect, and were the only claims that could expose GM to punitive damages, the judge wrote.

Scheuer sued GM after another vehicle forced him off an Oklahoma highway on May 28, 2014, causing him to crash head-on into two trees. His Ion's front airbags did not deploy, which he said resulted from a defective ignition switch.

Bellwether trials are sometimes used in product liability litigation in which hundreds or thousands of people have similar claims. The outcomes can help parties determine whether to keep litigating or to settle. Six bellwether trials are scheduled in the GM litigation for 2016, court records show.

Furman's decision "paves the way for the jury to have an unfettered and full view of GM's behavior in covering up this defect," Scheuer's lawyer Bob Hilliard said in a statement.

GM spokesman James Cain said in a phone interview: "We are fully prepared to go to trial, and introduce evidence showing that the ignition-switch issue did not cause the injuries in this accident, or cause the airbags not to deploy."

An ignition switch defect on Ions, Chevrolet Cobalts and other GM vehicles could cause engines to stall and prevent airbags from deploying in crashes. 

GM in February 2014 began recalling 2.6 million vehicles to fix the defect, despite being aware of a possible problem a decade earlier.

In September, GM agreed to pay $900 million and enter a deferred prosecution agreement to end a related U.S. criminal probe. The defect has been linked to 124 deaths and 275 injuries, which generated out-of-court claims of $594 million paid by GM to victims through a fund administered by attorney Ken Feinberg.

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Calais crisis is now starting to hurt the Scottish Export business - This must be dealt with NOW.

The continued chaos in Calais is impacting Scottish exports and the French Government must take action on the migrant situation in the port as a matter of urgency - is the message from the FTA today.  

Responding to the Scottish Government’s call for ‘action’ to help alleviate the delays to exports  - the Freight Transport Association (FTA) reiterated that the situation is not just affecting the south east of England but that it is a much wider issue affecting industry nationwide. 

The combination of industrial action and migrant activity in and around the port of Calais has continued to cause chaos both in the UK and France, including the implementation of Operation Stack on the M20 in Kent causing delays for some truck drivers for hours  – some up to 20 hours at a time.

Scottish businesses from the fishing and food processing sectors have raised their concerns regarding the impact of delays and potential delays on their businesses.

Margaret Simpson, FTA’s Country Manager - Scotland said: “The situation in Calais is having a huge impact on the Scottish freight industry.  The delays on both sides of the Channel are causing financial and logistical implications for operators and it can’t be allowed to continue.  Every year we are subject to disruptions of some kind at the French ports and the migrant issue this year has simply compounded an ongoing problem.”

FTA has previously highlighted the detrimental effect on the national supply chain because of lengthy delays to cross the Channel, and warned of the cost to the economy as loads are being damaged by the extensive delays and those being rejected by customers because of contamination when migrants break on board of trucks.

Operation Stack is used to park HGVs on the M20 and can affect 35 miles of the motorway.  The system is normally used during cross-Channel disruption, and has been implemented on 26 occasions in the past six weeks causing subsequent chaos in Kent not only for freight operators, but also for residents, tourist traffic and local businesses.

With the Calais situation getting worse, here are some tips to avoid the queues, and no, not shoot the Idiots.

TMW THOUGHTS

I am sorry, but what the hell are the French doing, if this were any other country in the world, anyone trying to illegally gain access to another country by crossing the border without permission would be be arrested, sent back or shot, Now I am not saying that we should shoot them, but something has got to be done.

The vast sums of money involved in keeping the lorries backed up is now running into hundreds of millions of pounds, at £100 per hour per truck, it can soon build up.

Why are these illegal immigrants not being dealt with on the French side, surely they are illegal in France, so why are they not being taken into custody, processed and sent home, why, well, they French just don't care, they seem to think that if they can lose a few by them coming here, it's less for them to worry about, it seems like they are happy to let them come here, rather than deal with it.

Well NO, I care little if the French like us or not, these immigrants are breaking the law in France, FACT, the French are seemingly doing little to stop it, FACT, it is costing the UK haulage industry Millions every day, and not just us, what about those countries exporting to the UK, they are being hit too, it is about time that fines and compensation should be awarded to the British drivers and companies that are out of pocket.

But it is not just the drivers and associated companies, what about the high street businesses, the shops that can not get their stock, like fresh flowers, our local news had a report where shops were having to close because of a lack of stock and refunds having to be given due to no items to supply.

The French need to get of their baguette filled arses and do something about it, because believe me, if they don't, they will continue to invade the tunnel daily, until they either succeed, or there is a lot more deaths, neither will be acceptable.

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Information and links for anyone affected by travel disruption at Calais. This will be updated as the situation develops.

Border controls in France.

Calais situation: 30 July 2015

There is an ongoing possibility of disruption to cross-Channel services as a result of industrial action and migrant activity in and around Calais.

Check online with your chosen operator and plan your journey to avoid disruption

If you are in the UK and have a booking, check online with your operator for more information before you leave and consider making alternative arrangements if necessary.

If you are in returning to the UK from abroad and you have a booking, check online with your operator for more information. You may also wish to consider alternative routes for returning to the UK.

General travel advice

Cross-Channel passengers travelling from Dover/Folkestone to the Port of Calais are advised to check online with their chosen operator and plan their journey to avoid disruption. You may also want to follow local radio for travel updates.

Cross-Channel passengers planning to travel through Calais are advised to check online with their travel operator. Information about alternative routes and operators is available via this interactive map.

If you require emergency assistance, emergency services in France are contacted by dialling 112. If you require assistance from the British Embassy, please contact 00 33 (0)1 44 51 31 00.

Compensation and exchanging tickets

If you need to exchange travel tickets, contact your operator. For advice on compensation and your rights, visit the ABTA website.

Read guidance on EU Regulation 1177/2010, which establishes the rights of all maritime passengers to assistance in the case of delayed or cancelled departures.

Contacts for cross-Channel operators

Dover/Folkestone – Calais/Coquelles cross-Channel operators

DFDS Seaways also operates out of Amsterdam, Dieppe and Dunkirk:

• Twitter @DFDSUKUpdates
• telephone:
  • Calais, Dunkirk and Amsterdam +44 (0) 344 902 0265 and +44 (0) 871 882 1777 for sailing information
  • Dieppe +44 (0) 844 576 8836, INT 0800 650 100 and +44 (0) 844 576 8836 for sailing information

P&O Ferries also operates out of Rotterdam and Zeebrugge:

• Twitter @POferries for ferry updates
• telephone +44 (0) 800 13 0030

Eurotunnel operates from Coquelles:

• Twitter @LeShuttle
• telephone: +44 (0) 8444 63 0000 (24 hour pre-recorded travel information), +44 (0) 8443 35 35 35, +33 (0) 810 63 03 04

Other cross-Channel operators and routes

Details of alternative routes for returning to the UK. Check availability and book ahead before considering travelling to another port of exit.

Brittany Ferries operates out of Caen, Cherbourg, Le Havre, Roscoff, St Malo, Bilbao and Santander:

• Twitter @Brittanyferries
• telephone +44 (0) 1752 648 637

Condor Ferries operates out of St Malo and Cherbourg:

• Twitter @CF_Travel_News
• telephone +44 (0) 1202 207 216, St Malo +44 (0) 825 165 463, Cherbourg +33 (0) 233 88 44 88

Stena operates out of Hook of Holland:

• Twitter @StenalineUK
• telephone +44 (0) 8447 70 70 70

Additional contacts

• Port of Dover, Twitter @Port_of_Dover
• Foreign travel advice: France
• British embassy in Paris

Road traffic information

UK road traffic

• Highways England traffic information or on Twitter: @HighwaysSEAST

France road traffic

• autoroutes.fr
• Bison Fute

What the government is doing (SOD ALL -ATM)

We are working closely with the French government to seek an urgent return of normal services. We have also increased security and Border Force operations at the port.

We continue to closely monitor the situation and will update travel advice accordingly.

The government’s COBR emergency committee has met to discuss the situation in Calais and review implementation of our contingency plans.

Law and order in and around Calais is the responsibility of the French authorities, but the UK continues to work with its French counterparts to strengthen the security of the border to stop migrants entering the UK illegally.

Border Force put its well-rehearsed and practised contingency plans into operation to ensure security is maintained during this period of disruption to cross-Channel services and as they return to normal. 

We have deployed additional Border Force staff and sniffer dogs in northern France as well as bolstering screening checks at Dover for both tourist and freight vehicles. This is on top of already rigorous border controls, which include 100% freight screening at Coquelles and Calais.

The government:

• has agreed to additional funding of up to £7 million towards increasing security at the Channel Tunnel railhead at Coquelles
• is providing funding to bolster the security and infrastructure of ports in northern France and Belgium – this includes a £2 million upgrade of detection technology, a £1 million extension of dog searching capacity and an additional £12 million to reinforce security at the juxtaposed border
• has installed new fencing in Calais to enhance security at the port and help protect traffic on the road leading to it
• has announced there will be a new secure area for freight at Calais port
• is tackling the roots of this problem by increasing joint intelligence work with the French to target the organised crime gangs behind people smuggling
• has granted an exceptional temporary relaxation of the enforcement of EU drivers’ hours rules for drivers delayed due to Operation Stack in Kent

More than 39,000 attempts to cross the Channel illegally were prevented in 2014 to 2015 – more than double the previous year.

USA - GM announces the death toll has risen from the defective ignition switch issues.

The death toll from General Motors' defective ignition switch has risen by seven more fatalities from a week earlier to 74, the administrator of GM's compensation fund said yesterday.

The office of attorney Kenneth Feinberg, who is overseeing victim compensation on GM's behalf, had approved 74 death claims and 126 injury claims as of March 20, according to an update released today. 

The deadline for victims to file claims was Jan. 31. Feinberg's office is expected to continue processing them until late spring or early summer.

GM hired Feinberg to compensate victims last year amid its recall of the faulty switch, which can be jarred out of the run position, cutting power to the power steering, brakes and airbags. A person seeking compensation must prove that the airbag did not deploy, and must show that the defective switch was the primary factor in the crash.

A GM-backed investigation last year found that several engineers and attorneys were aware of the problem for as long as a decade but did not elevate the issue to the top levels of the company.

Feinberg's office had received 4,342 claims as of March 20. Of those, 200 were deemed eligible. Another 1,326 still are under review.

GM estimated that it will pay out $400 million to $600 million in compensation through the Feinberg process.

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