Los Angeles, CA: A price-fixing
class action lawsuit has been filed against a unit of the Japan-based automaker Nissan, alleging the company, together with several other automotive shippers, colluded to fix, raise, maintain and stabilize overseas shipping prices of vehicles. This has resulted in US consumers paying higher prices for foreign cars, the lawsuit claims.
Filed by lead plaintiff David Schroeder, the lawsuit, entitled David Schroeder et al. v. Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha et al., Case No. 13-cv-01319, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of California, claims the defendants engaged in antitrust and price-fixing activities for five years, in an effort to suppress or eliminate competition in the vehicle carrier services business. The shippers control more than 70 per cent of the market for vehicle carrier services.
The class action results from an investigation by US, European and Japanese regulators. Named defendants in the auto shipping price-fixing lawsuitt include Nissan Motor Car Carrier Co., American Shipping and Logistics Group, Wilh. Wilhelmsen ASA and several other Chilean, South Korean, Norwegian and Swedish auto shippers.
The proposed price-fixing class action lawsuit seeks to represent thousands of Californians who indirectly purchased vehicle carrier services for personal use from any of the defendants during the class period.
The class is represented by Francis M. Gregorek, Betsy C. Manifold, Rachele R. Rickert, Marisa C. Livesary, Mary Jane Fait and Patrick H. Moran of Wolf Haldenstein Adler Freeman & Herz LLC.
