ALLIANZ SE FRANKFURT (Reuters) - German insurer Allianz (>> Allianz SE) plans to sue Volkswagen (>> Volkswagen AG) in the coming weeks to seek compensation for a severe drop in the car maker's share price stemming from the "Dieselgate" emissions scandal, a source familiar with the situation said on Tuesday.
The planned lawsuit by Allianz Global Investors (AGI) represents the first such action by a major German institution against the national carmaking icon, which is still reeling from the biggest corporate scandal in its history.
"It will happen within this month," the person said.
AGI said in a statement on Tuesday it had not filed an action against VW to date but was weighing a suit.
"As asset manager it is our fiduciary obligation to evaluate potential claims against capital market participants and, if necessary, follow through in the best interest of our investors," it said. "A potential compensation would be for the benefit of the funds."
Volkswagen already faces a number of lawsuits resulting from the diesel emissions cheating scandal that affected about 11 million cars globally. Other German fund managers are also weighing legal action.
California State Teachers' Retirement System announced last week it planned to participate in a German suit against Volkswagen.
Volkswagen declined to comment.
(Reporting by Jonathan Gould, Kathrin Jones, Alexander Huebner and Jan Schwartz; Editing by Georgina Prodhan)
By Jonathan Gould and Kathrin Jones
