Regardless of the action, people usually prefer to be on the winning team, especially when that person has, in some way, been negatively affected. So, when you realize your motor vehicle may be exhibiting problems, it is important to begin keeping accurate and detailed car repair records that could lend your attorney a hand in winning a legal claim brought under the lemon law. It’s likely that, once you choose a dependable and experienced attorney to represent you, they will ask you for the records that you have been keeping, and the more thorough you’ve been, the faster and easier it will be to get rid of your faulty motor vehicle. But, many people may be unaware of exactly what their attorney will need to quickly begin arguing their case under the lemon law and having to research and gather documents could cause a delay in badly needed financial compensation or could even cause the lemon law case to be dismissed because too much time has passed.
Under the lemon law, consumers have a limited amount of time to bring their lawsuit against the manufacturer of their defective motor vehicle. This time limitation is often referred to as a statute of limitations. But, in addition to the statute of limitations, consumers are also constrained by the coverage provided for by their new car warranty. To make sure that the protection afforded by the lemon law will apply to your case, it is important to consult with an attorney that specializes in this area of the law immediately after recognizing that your vehicle may be defective. However, it may be that a consumer does not recognize the extent or severity of the problems with their motor vehicle until several car repair attempts have been made. Ideally, an attorney would like to have a detailed personal log or record of each car repair attempt made. This record should include dates, times and locations of each car repair, the name of the car repair technician, and the resolution that was reached after the motor vehicle was worked on.
It is also important for consumers to keep track of how they have been affected by their defective motor vehicles. Under the lemon law, the consumer’s attorney must show that the problem with the motor vehicle substantially affects its use, value, or safety. If consumers have kept accurate and detailed records they will not have to waste time gathering or trying to remember this information. For example, if there was a problem with the vehicle’s brake system, and this problem caused the consumer to fear driving it, providing this information to the lemon law attorney would be beneficial to the consumer’s lawsuit because it shows that, from the consumer’s point of view, the safety of the vehicle has been compromised.
Records from the car repair shop are also helpful to a consumer’s legal claim because they should corroborate the consumer’s own notes. And, providing your attorney with copies of these repair orders allows the attorney to consider whether there are any discrepancies between the consumer’s history of car repairs and the manufacturer’s version of events. Having this information ready will not only help him or her adequately advise you of your legal rights under the lemon law, but it will also help to avoid any delay in receiving the monetary compensation you deserve.