Ever heard the saying: “People hate attorneys until they need one”? Attorneys may not have the best reputations, and I’m sure you can probably think of a few good lawyer jokes right about now. There is, however, a type of attorney that is more affordable than you think and can help you in more ways than just filing a lawsuit. As you may have guessed by the title of this article, this is your five point Public Service Announcement about why you should consider lemon law attorneys your allies if you find yourself with car or RV troubles, no matter how early in your lemon law journey you may be.
Reason #1: Free Legal Representation
You’ve paid a significant down payment, monthly payments, and are on the hook for a loan for a vehicle that is defective. Along with those financial burdens, would it be fair to also have you pay thousands of dollars in attorney’s fees just to get justice from the manufacturer that did wrong by selling you a lemon in the first place? Absolutely not!
It’s rare these days to find a law that truly helps people without loopholes, but the California lemon law (officially known as the Song Beverly Consumer Warranty Act) might actually fit the bill. Along with being one of the strongest consumer protection statutes in the nation, it provides consumers a very important resource- free legal representation. Pursuant to it’s one way fee shifting provision, the California lemon law allows attorneys who represent consumers with legitimate lemon law claims to get paid their attorney’s fees and costs directly from the manufacturer that caused the harm in the first place. That means attorneys can take on consumers’ cases free of charge to the consumer, but still get paid for their work at the end of the case by the manufacturer. Consumers get justice, and the attorneys can make an honest living. Win, win.
Reason #2: Don’t Get Ripped Off By The Manufacturer…Again
Sure, you’re 100% able to negotiate with the manufacturer yourself, and you might even come away with an offer that sounds reasonable. However, there’s a strong chance that offer the manufacturer is giving you is less than what you’re actually entitled to (spoiler alert- they don’t have your best interests in mind and they’re under no obligation to explain to you the rights you’re signing away in exchange for their offer). Beware of all the deductions manufacturers are adding to your “buyback” offer, especially the mileage offset or usage deduction. Without getting a free second opinion (yes, you read that right- free second opinion) from an experienced lemon law firm like West Coast Lemons, you could sign away valuable rights and end up agreeing to a deal that’s thousands of dollars less than you could have gotten. Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me twice…well, don’t be that guy.
Reason #3: Free Legal Advice That Doesn’t Involve A Lawsuit
A good attorney will help you get what you want, and in lemon law cases that usually means getting the manufacturer to buy your car, truck, motor home, or trailer back as soon as possible and without you ever stepping foot in a courtroom. At West Coast Lemons, we teach our clients our highly effective “buyback script” and advise our clients behind the scenes to help them get what they want without the time or stress involved in filing a lawsuit. Consider us the (lemon law) angel on your shoulder helping you negotiate with the manufacturer. Did I mention this advice is all part of your free consultation? Oh and if the manufacturer refuses to do the right thing and won’t buy your vehicle back, we’ll take it from there (once again- at no cost to you) and trust us when we say we’ll give them hell.
Reason #4: Build A Lemon Law Case
Your free consultation doesn’t necessarily have to end in a “yes you have a case” or “no you don’t have a case.” Many of our cases have been the result of weeks, or sometimes months for some RV cases, of client coaching. This advice on how to build a strong lemon law case can make things much faster and more lucrative once a lawsuit is filed. We know what types of scenarios get the big settlements and we’re happy to share our knowledge with you to make sure you get what you deserve.
Reason #5: Maximize Your Settlement
When you need heart surgery, you don’t ask your primary care physician to perform the surgery; you ask an experienced heart surgeon. Same concept when you have a lemon; you need an attorney that specializes in the lemon law to get you the best results.
Shameless plug- With over $4.4 million recovered from manufacturers in the last two years, West Coast Lemons’ President and Founder Michelle Fonseca-Kamana is no stranger to getting every penny possible for her lemon law clients. Using her highly effective “buyback script” she has helped countless clients get buybacks without even filing a lawsuit. In cases that have gone to litigation, she holds one of the records for highest negotiated civil penalty, obtaining a $60,000 civil penalty for an RV client.
To recap- there is absolutely no good reason for you to take on these big manufacturers alone. The legislature has (finally) done something right and given you the ability to hire an experienced lemon law firm to advise and represent you against the manufacturer. So when you’re ready to get the justice you deserve at no cost to you, we’ll be here and ready to serve you.
