Next to the purchase of a home, buying a new vehicle is perhaps the biggest purchase you will make in your life. Moreover, buying a new car is an exciting and fulfilling experience whether it is your first purchase or simply your latest. At least, it is an exciting and fulfilling experience for 99% of us buying a new car. Unfortunately, for a select few, approximately 1%, or 150,000 automobiles are sold each year that qualify as lemons.
A lemon is a vehicle that presents the new owner with repeated and unfixable problems. In the blink of an eye, the excitement of that new purchase can quickly turn to ash as the vehicle repeatedly sits on the side of the road awaiting a tow truck. As mentioned, new cars are not cheap, which is especially frustrating knowing that regardless of the vehicle’s condition, you are contractedly obligated to continue making payments for another 60-months?
Finding an attorney that specializes in lemon law litigation might well be your best option when it comes to escaping the nightmare of being the brand-new owner of a certified lemon. An attorney that is knowledgeable in Lemon Law procedures in the Golden State can prove invaluable should you find yourself in this unfortunate situation. Let us explore the laws as regards lemon vehicles here in the Golden State.
History of California Lemon Laws
The history of California’s lemon laws rose in concert with the rise of the American consumer movement, which itself was sparked by consumer advocate, Ralph Nader’s, attack on the auto industry in the mid-1970s. Congressional action in 1975, the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act that established a grievance process to prove remedies for poorly manufactured vehicles, formed the seeds for the growth of protective lemon law legislation in the Golden State.
Prior to this consumer movement, customers had very little recourse in the event of buying a vehicle that later proved to be a lemon. In the intervening years since 1975, California legislators in Sacramento worked to further strengthen consumer protections resulting in the state having some of the strongest Lemon Laws in the nation.
Under California statute, not only are consumers offered remedies in the event that they purchased a defective vehicle, but additional safeguards were built in to include a wider range of vehicles, including vehicles that are leased rather than purchased, and greater transparency regarding the history of identified lemon vehicles.
As such, vehicles that had been re-bought under protections afforded by California’s Lemon Law can’t find their way back into the available supply chain of used cars on the market. Owing to these protections, consumers in California have options, but having a qualified attorney by your side as you pursue your Lemon Law claim.
What’s the Value of a Lemon Law Claim?
Under the state’s Lemon Law, a vehicle that is suffering from defects that substantially impair the use, value, and safety of a vehicle must be repaired within a reasonable amount of time, and should such efforts fail to fix the car then it must offer a buyback option in the case of a lemon.
Under this provision the manufacturer must either offer a full refund, minus certain deductions, or a replacement with a vehicle that is materially identical.
That being said however, automotive manufacturers are like any large economic concerns, which are dedicated to lowering costs, limiting responsibility, and avoiding payouts on claims if possible. Indeed, they have teams of attorneys well versed in limiting claim payouts, so having a lawyer on your side of the table will help guarantee that you do not leave any money on the table when it comes to your Lemon Law claim.
Why Do You Need a Lemon Law Lawyer?
When going against a large, organized corporation staffed with attorneys trained in the art of limiting claims against the manufacturer that pays their salaries. A team of lawyers working on your behalf serves to help level the playing field when dealing with these corporate adversaries. Experienced in California’s Lemon Laws, and fully conversant with the methods typically employed to help thwart such claims from succeeding.
Owing to this experience, a lemon law lawyer understands the ins and outs of the legal process when it comes to Lemon Law legislation. An experienced Lemon Law attorney is your best defense against a hostile legal environment. Offering equally strong legal representation is your best line of defense when mounting a lemon law claim.
Mounting this type of legal challenge on your own can be challenging. Hiring a qualified Lemon Law to represent your legal interests is a smart move. Additionally, in these types of situations, your lawyer’s fees will be covered by the manufacturer should your legal team prevail, and it makes sense to expect your attorney to apply their extensive body of legal knowledge to win your case.
If you have been the victim of a vehicle purchase that ended up being a lemon, your best bet is to find a qualified attorney to help press your claim. Advantages include getting the best possible deal for your vehicle that has been nothing more than a nightmare since the day you pulled off the car lot.
Contact the Legal Team at Neale & Fhima Today
If you were unfortunate enough to be one of the few people to purchase a vehicle that would be classified as a “lemon,” once colloquially known as “a car built on a Monday or a Friday,” you are not alone in trying to recoup your losses. The lemon law attorneys at Neale & Fhima are extremely well versed in navigating the intricacies of Lemon Law applications here in California.
While it might seem as if you are alone fighting a fight that you cannot win, nothing could be further from the truth. Our team of dedicated team of staff and lawyers understand the problems that you are going through after having purchased a deficient vehicle. Lemon Laws exist for a reason, and we’re here to help enforce them for our clients in need.
If you have legal questions regarding your recently purchased vehicle that has turned into a lemon, we have answers to those questions.
Owing to this experience, a lemon law lawyer understands the ins and outs of the legal process when it comes to Lemon Law legislation. An experienced Lemon Law attorney is your best defense against a hostile legal environment. Offering equally strong legal representation is your best line of defense when mounting a lemon law claim.
Do not wait and worry if you have had the misfortune of buying a lemon because we are very experienced in this type of legal case. As such, we have legal solutions to your legal problems, so you do not have negotiate without help.
