Motor Vehicle Warranty Practice
We know the law. Jurisdiction by jurisdiction, lemon laws vary widely. Work vehicles are covered in some states but not others; diminished value is recoverable under some laws, while double the purchase price and attorney fees may be recovered under others. With more than 100 years of combined experience defending literally thousands of claims, our attorneys understand the nuances of warranty laws, the complex regulatory schemes that govern sales, warranties and repairs, and the right way to try a case.
We know your vehicles. We bring extensive automotive and recreational vehicle products liability experience to bear on your cases. With that, comes technical knowledge of vehicle design and operation for vehicles such as cars, trucks, boats, motorcycles and ATVs. We know the difference between a defect, goodwill repair, normal operating characteristics and poor maintenance – and we know how to explain it to a jury.
We know the opportunities. Federal and state motor vehicle warranty laws are designed to protect the consumer, not the manufacturer. Even so, a manufacturer can use its warranty complaint program to its advantage – to keep good customers. We understand today’s complainer is tomorrow’s repeat customer. A successful warranty program is more about customer satisfaction and less about beating the other side – though there is a time and place for that too. We understand that trying a case against the right plaintiff lawyer reduces frivolous claims – and we have well over 100 warranty trials under our belts.
We know the industry. So called "lemon mills" are popping up nationwide. We know who they are, what their tactics are and how to stop them. In addition, Certified Used Vehicle programs have become recent targets of inflated misleading and deceptive advertising claims. We understand the inner-workings of those programs and the responsibilities of both the dealer and the manufacturer in these cases.
We know how to save you money. Warranty claims deserve quick attention so your customers come back and your litigation costs stay low. Our national warranty management programs are structured around prompt evaluation and resolution of claims. We understand resolving the right claims today saves thousands of dollars in legal fees – and our team of attorneys and paralegals have more than 100 years experience making it happen everyday. We have resolved, through settlement, motion, trial and appeal, thousands of warranty claims across the country, and that experience allows us to make rapid, reliable and reasonable recommendations. We also train in-house staff and offer solid business advice for efficient creation, implementation and enforcement of warranties.
We've seen it all. Unfair business practices, class actions, presale non-disclosure, fraud, express warranty, lemon law, misrepresentation, revocation, implied warranty, deceptive trade, failure of essential purpose, Magnuson-Moss, statutory fraud, contract . . . we've defended them all for both new and used vehicles.
Our clients include manufacturers of automobiles, motorcycles, boats, snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles and commercial trucks, with recognizable names such as Ford, General Motors, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Toyota, Kia, Honda, Isuzu, Nissan, Volkswagen, Audi, Land Rover, Freightliner, Polaris, and Genmar Industries, to name a few.
