Do you have a new vehicle with a serious warranty-covered issue that the manufacturer or their authorized dealer seems unable to fix even after multiple repair attempts? A vehicle with unresolvable defects can cost you significant amounts of money, including reduced vehicle value, lost use of your car, and out-of-pocket expenses associated with repairs.
Fortunately, California’s Lemon Law allows you to pursue compensation from your vehicle’s manufacturer for your losses relating to owning or leasing a lemon. Contact The Barry Law Firm for a FAST & FREE initial case evaluation with our seasoned Lemon Law attorneys serving San Diego to discuss Lemon Law settlement examples and your right to seek compensation.
The Short Answer
You may wonder about how much money you could recover in an average Lemon Law settlement in California. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as an “average” or “standard” settlement for a Lemon Law claim. The compensation you might recover in a California Lemon Law settlement will depend on the specific facts of your case.
Compensation a Lemon Law Settlement May Provide
In a Lemon Law claim, you may negotiate a settlement with the manufacturer to buy back your lemon and refund your losses related to the defective vehicle. Your financial recovery can include money for your:
- Down payment
- Auto loan or lease payments
- Remaining loan balance
- Financing charges for a loan or lease
- Sales and use taxes
- License and registration fees
- Repair-related expenses, such as towing fees, out-of-pocket repair costs, or alternative transportation charges for car rentals, rideshares, taxis, etc.
- Attorney fees and legal expenses from pursuing the Lemon Law claim
In a successful Lemon Law claim, the manufacturer must pay the consumer’s attorney’s fees and legal expenses, allowing the consumer to recover 100 percent of the actual damages caused by their lemon vehicle’s issues. And even better, when you work with The Barry Law Firm, there’s no financial risk. We won’t charge you anything, no matter the outcome of your case.
If you want to get a rough estimate of how much your San Diego Lemon Law settlement might be worth, you can use our buyback calculator. However, one of our experienced Lemon Law lawyers will be able to give you an idea of what compensation you may be owed in your free consultation.
Factors That Affect a Lemon Law Settlement Amount
How much you may recover in a settlement of your Lemon Law claim will depend on the specific circumstances of your case. Understanding what affects a Lemon Law settlement amount can help you maximize your financial recovery. Factors that affect Lemon Law settlements include:
- Your vehicle’s value
- How much you have paid to purchase or lease the vehicle
- The amount of incidental expenses you paid for your purchase or lease, such as financing charges, sales tax, or registration fees
- When your vehicle’s problem started and how many miles were on the vehicle
- The amount of expenses you’ve had to pay due to your vehicle’s problems, such as out-of-pocket repair expenses, towing charges, or rental car fees
Other factors that may affect the strength of your Lemon Law claim, such as the nature of your vehicle’s defect and the number of repair attempts that the vehicle’s manufacturer has made, can also impact the value of your Lemon Law settlement. The stronger your claim, the more money the manufacturer may be willing to pay in a Lemon Law settlement.
How to Support Your Claim for a Fair Settlement
Maximizing your financial recovery in a California Lemon Law settlement will require you to have compelling evidence proving that your car qualifies as a lemon and establishing the financial losses you’ve sustained because of your vehicle’s substantial defect. For example, you will need documentation of your vehicle’s issue, such as photos, videos, computer logs, and diagnostic reports. You must also document the number of repair attempts the vehicle’s manufacturer or an authorized dealer has made to try to fix your car’s problem with copies of repair reports or receipts that include the dates of repairs.
To support your claim for fair Lemon Law compensation, you must have records of your financial losses. Documents you should gather for your case include:
- Your purchase or leasing documents (which should include your vehicle’s price and the down payment you made)
- Financing documents from the loan or leasing company
- Receipts or bank statements showing monthly payments you’ve made
- Sales tax receipts
- Vehicle registration invoices
- Towing bills
- Receipts for out-of-pocket repair expenses
- Receipts or invoices for car rentals or rideshares
Does Having a Lemon Law Attorney Serving San Diego Help You?
Hiring a Lemon Law attorney serving San Diego can help you maximize your settlement compensation. Having legal representation to handle your Lemon Law claim can also take the stress of the legal process off your shoulders. Vehicle manufacturers will give you the runaround when you try to demand financial recovery under the Lemon Law. But with a skilled Lemon Law attorney on your side, they’re more likely to take you and your claim seriously.
An attorney from The Barry Law Firm can help you pursue a fair settlement of your Lemon Law case by:
- Assembling the documents and evidence needed to prove your right to compensation
- Evaluating the strength of your claim and explaining your legal options
- Calculating your losses to assess what fair compensation may look like for you
- Preparing you for what to expect in your Lemon Law claim and offering legal advice to help you make informed decisions
- Pursuing your case with your vehicle’s manufacturer and aggressively negotiating for a fair settlement or taking your case to court if necessary
Call Us for a Free Consultation!
When you own or lease a vehicle under the manufacturer’s new vehicle warranty with a significant problem that the manufacturer or their authorized dealer cannot fix after a reasonable number of repair attempts, you may have the right to pursue financial compensation through a Lemon Law claim. An experienced lawyer can help you negotiate a settlement with your vehicle’s manufacturer to demand the compensation you need and deserve.
Contact The Barry Law Firm today for a free, no-obligation consultation with our CA Lemon Law attorneys. We’ll help you understand settlements in Lemon Law claims and discuss how our firm can help you fight for financial recovery after you’ve purchased or leased a defective car – all at no cost to you.
