Last Updated: February 2012
There are so many class action lawsuits regarding vehicles that it is hard to keep up with all of them. The problem with a class action lawsuit is that the only people who actually come out with a sizeable settlement are the attorneys and the lead plaintiff or plaintiffs. If you have ever been involved in a class action, you probably already know that your “settlement” is worth $100.00 or less, depending on the cause of action. Recently, a consumer opted out of the class, which means that she did not want to be included in the class of plaintiffs, she wanted to sue the defendant on her own. And she won almost $10,000.00!!
Heather Peters sued American Honda Motor Co., Inc., in Small Claims Court in Los Angeles because she purchased a Honda Civic Hybrid based upon Honda’s claims that the vehicle would be able to achieve up to 50 miles per gallon. The vehicle never got more than 41 or 42 miles per gallon and the fuel economy dropped below 30 miles per gallon after Honda performed a software update that was intended to extend the life of the vehicle’s battery and improve performance. The most a plaintiff can win in small claims court is $10,000.00 and the plaintiff won a total of $9,867.00. The lesson to be learned here is to opt out of a class action settlement and obtain your own attorney, and you will most likely do better in your own lawsuit! If you have received a notice that you have been included in a class action lawsuit about your vehicle, call us toll free at (855) 59-LEMON so we can start your own lemon law case at absolutely no cost to you today!
See Full Article: Honda loses Civic hybrid Small Claims Court lawsuit, posted on LA Times