Choosing a Lemon Law
Attorney in Ohio
We believe that our clients
should understand their legal rights.
If you purchased or leased a defective automobile or defective
truck, or if an automobile manufacturer or car dealer or
other merchant has defrauded you or a family member, you
have some important decisions to make.
To protect you in this particular case, the old adage of “you
get what you pay for” comes to mind. The attorney
who works on a contingent fee basis only gets paid when your
case is over with and that usually means “the sooner
the better” for them, which may not be the “better” for
you.
You need an Ohio Lemon Law attorney who knows what he is
doing, who has the experience to do it right the first time,
and who is willing to take your case to trial if the defendant
is not willing to settle the way you want. Being able
to meet with the Ohio Lemon Law attorney, if you wish, can
be an important way to learn the answers to your questions. Also,
the law can be different from state to state, so you may
want to be sure your Lemon Law lawyer actually is located
in your state.
Courts frequently require attorneys to appear at the courthouse
and if your Lemon Law lawyer has to fly in from some other
state, or hire another attorney to “stand in” for
the case, you should question whether this will influence
the attorney’s advice to you about any settlement offer
made by the other side in your case.
The "10" Avvo Rating is something special. It is not easy to get and requires consistently high reviews by former clients and attorneys who are familiar with the work an attorney does, both in the courtroom and outside the courtroom. And to be named the Top Attorney in Lemon Law, well, that is an even rarer Avvo rating. This high rating tells you something very special about the experience and reputation of the attorney who receives it. It has to be earned. When choosing a Lemon Law attorney to help you get Justice, compare their ratings and reputation and experience.
When choosing a lemon law
attorney, we believe it is important for you to consider
the following:
Make and Keep Records. Regardless of who
may be at fault, the dealer or the manufacturer, it can be very helpful
to get (and keep) a copy of your repair documents from the
dealership (they call them “repair orders”),
learn the names of the people you deal with at the dealership
and who you talk to from the manufacturer (on the telephone
or in person) and keep records of the names and dates and
conversations. You should keep copies of receipts of all
of your expenses related to the vehicle, including insurance
and loan payments and repair costs, as well as rental car
expenses. If your attorney did not tell you this, then maybe you need one with more than 25 years of experience handling Lemon Law cases.
You Do Not Have to Sign Anything. You may
not want to give an interview or a recorded statement to
someone from the manufacturer without first consulting with
an attorney, because the statement can be used against you.
If you may be at fault for lack of maintenance or failing
to promptly report a defect, it may be advisable to consult
an attorney right away. However, if a defect in your vehicle
causes an accident, and you have insurance, your insurance
policy probably requires you to cooperate with your insurance
company and to provide a statement to your insurance company.
If you fail to cooperate with your insurance company, it
may void your coverage. That will not have anything to do,
in most cases, with the responsibility which the manufacturer
may have for your defective vehicle. If your attorney did not explain this to you, then maybe you need one with more than 25 years of experience handling Lemon Law cases.
It’s You Against Them. Your interests
and those of the car dealership or the manufacturer are in
conflict. Whatever you want is likely to cost them money and that is one thing that they both do not want to do for you. Sometimes it is hard to tell whether the fault for your bad car or truck is the fault of the repair shop or the factory that built it. If you are not sure whether the car dealer or the
manufacturer is at fault for your defects, then you should
contact an attorney.
There Is a Time Limit to File a Claim. Legal
rights, including filing a lawsuit, are subject to time limits.
Different time limits apply to different types of claim.
You may need to act immediately to protect your rights. For
instance, the Lemon Law time limit is 5 years from when you
bought your vehicle. Most other consumer protection laws
are only 1 or 2 years, but warranty laws are often 4 years,
and there are sometimes different ways to get around the
time limits, too. It can be confusing. That’s why you
may need an experienced attorney
to help you. If your attorney did not tell you this, then maybe you need one with more than 25 years of experience handling Lemon Law cases.
How to Find an Attorney. If you need professional
advice about a legal problem but do not know an attorney,
you may wish to check with relatives, friends, neighbors,
your employer or coworkers who may be able to recommend an
attorney. Your local bar association may have a lawyer referral
service (you can usually find them in the yellow pages of
the phone book). You also can look on the internet for information
about attorneys but, of course, we think you have already
found the best attorney for your “lemon law” and “consumer
law” problem right here.
Check a Lawyer’s Qualifications. Before
deciding on any lawyer, you should check out the lawyer’s background
and experience with similar cases. Does the lawyer have
nearly 30 years of experience in representing people like
you against car dealers and car manufacturers, or something
less? Has the lawyer already handled thousands of cases like
your case? Has the lawyer handled similar cases in the most
of Ohio’s Court of Appeals as well as the Ohio Supreme
Court? Has the lawyer appeared in Federal Courts in cases
like yours as well as State courts? Has the lawyer actually
handled a trial similar to what your case has involved in
it, or will you be his/her “learning experience?” Has
the lawyer given seminars to
judges and other lawyers to explain the law? Has the lawyer received
awards and other honors and recognition from professional
organizations and groups?
How Will the
Lawyer Be Paid? In deciding which lawyer to represent
you, find out who will be paying for the legal fees.
Most attorneys take this type of case on a contingency or
semi-contingency basis. Some attorneys require you to pay
a retainer of hundreds or thousands of dollars. Some attorneys
take a portion of your recovery out of your buyback award.
Some attorneys charge you an hourly rate. All of that means
money out of your pocket. We don’t do it that way.
We provide free motor vehicle Lemon Law representation.
Ohio allows you to recover attorney fees and the federal
Lemon Law does too. That’s why we just simply make
the manufacturer or dealer pay our bill. There is no fee
or cost to you for our services. Our philosophy is easy to
understand. If you’ve got a lemon motor vehicle, or
if a car dealer has lied to you, then you should not have
to pay a fee for an attorney to represent you. It’s
as simple as that.
This information is not intended as a complete description
of your legal rights, but as a check list of some of the
important issues that you should consider. You should always
request your attorney fee agreement to be in writing. “Free” and “Free
Representation” means only that we will not charge
our clients attorneys fees or costs in Lemon Law and select
other cases. We seek to recover all attorney fees from the
manufacturer or dealer under state and federal laws. However,
other cases may be handled on a different type of fee agreement. |
