Jan 19 2010
Lemon Law: Car companies and lemon law cases
If you have a lemon car you should know that you are protected by California lemon law. Even if the manufacturer refuses your claim you can protect your rights in a court.
Car companies avoid going to court on a lemon law case as there are some risks for them.
a) Lemon law cases are rarely completed with the own attorneys of the car companies so it is really very expensive for them to defend a lemon law case even if they win. Defending from your claims can cost them about $20,000 by the time a lemon law trial is completed.
b) Car companies risk losing more money than the car originally costs going to court. Due to a jury decision there is also a possibility of having to pay your attorney fees in addition to their attorney fees. Instead they could save more money buying back your car and still recover some of their loss by selling your old car. Or they could replace your car with a new one (if you wish) and also save a lot of money.
c) Dealing with a lemon law case car companies have to deal with the bad publicity as well. Though your case is likely not going to make headlines in famous newspapers, but it still registers as newsworthy and can negatively affect the public image of the car company which may result in a significant loss of sales. For car companies public attention to a lemon law case may have more risks than a loss in court.
These risks give you a great advantage. If you have a lemon car know that the CA lemon law is on your side and with a professional lemon law attorney you can protect your rights.