The good news about being a Texas vehicle owner is that, in the case the car is a lemon, there is a specific law intended to protect your rights. The Texas Lemon Law is one that is overseen by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles.
A department there handles the complaints, organizes the case, schedules mediation and assigns it to an examiner if mediation is unsuccessful. There is a fee to file the complaint, and then the process begins.
However, even with that law on the books and the option to pursue repayment or vehicle replacement if the defect cannot be repaired, there are reasons why it is wise to secure counsel to assist with these matters. Some people may shy away from speaking to a lawyer, but in the long run that is the way to go if you want to make it more likely you will be happy with the outcome of the case.
Handling a Lemon Law case is something attorneys specialize in. That means they have years of experience and can see if there are any gaps in the evidence or any needed details that haven’t been covered prior to submitting the claim.
The attorney will be present at mediation and make sure you are accurately represented and not being ignored.
For more information on arbitration and other frequently asked lemon law questions, click here.
They tend to be aware of any potential issues manufacturers may raise or any questions the examiner may have if the case goes beyond mediation. They are prepared for the things you aren’t sure will even happen. They know what to say when those questions come up, while you might have felt speechless and overwhelmed.
There are some areas of the law that can be misconstrued without exhaustive knowledge of lemon laws. Working with a Lemon Law attorney guarantees you will have help in avoiding assumptions that are based on inaccurate information.
Getting information from a friend who knew someone that had a lemon is not the way to go when you want to win your case. Instead, get in touch with a Lemon Law attorney and be assured you are getting the most accurate and helpful information to help resolve your case.
Trying to tackle something like a lemon vehicle and repair attempts or vehicle replacement can be a big task. If you do it alone, chances are you will miss an important part of the process and may not be successful in achieving your goals.
Therefore, reaching out to a professional in the legal field with years of experience means the chances of getting a positive resolution increase dramatically.
That professional also may be able to guide you if there are alternative ways to resolve the case – without too much stress above what you’re already experiencing. That means even if the Texas lemon law can’t help you, they might have a suggestion of what can.
As mentioned above, the task of negotiating for resolution when you are dealing with a lemon vehicle is a challenge. You may be frustrated by numerous attempts to resolve it on your own. As such, you may go to the mediation and not handle it as well as you would like – and the manufacturer may well take advantage of that fact. That could mean the issue is resolved, but it goes in the favor of the manufacturer. To avoid this scenario and being stuck with a lemon vehicle and no compensation, it’s best to work with a professional in the legal field.
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Working with a lemon law attorney means assistance with gathering evidence, determining the best way to communicate with the manufacturer and preparing to file the claim. These professionals do this on a regular basis, and they have a staff to assist them.
Tackling this project on your own is a big commitment. However, working with a lemon law attorney means you have help and greatly reduce the amount of work you are responsible to complete.
This can make life roll along more smoothly, even when your vehicle isn’t running or can’t be considered reliable. Do your research and find the lemon law attorney who has the right experience and is ready to take on your case and get to work right away.
It will benefit you in more ways than one.
The Texas lemon law has a lot of areas to navigate if you tackle this process on your own.
For example, if you have a vehicle with a defect that significantly impacts the value of your vehicle and puts your life at risk when you are driving, that vehicle meets one of the criteria to be considered a lemon in Texas.
If you have taken that vehicle to the mechanic to attempt to fix the same problem four or more times, it fits another criteria. However, hopefully you have kept documentation to prove you took the vehicle in that many times and the issue was the same each time. Also, if you have gotten to this point, hopefully you have notified the manufacturer that you are dealing with this issue and that notification was made in a way you can prove (think certified mail).
Lemon laws are confusing. Read our guide to the lemon law process.
Next, the vehicle probably sits idle if you are dealing with an ongoing issue. Has the vehicle been undriveable for 30 or more days in the 24 months or 24,000 miles since you purchased it? These don’t have to be in a row, instead they can be cumulative over that timeframe.
One caveat of this is that you cannot be given a loaner vehicle to use, or those days your vehicle sat idle do not count.
The vehicle must be covered by a warranty from the manufacturer and the issues must arise in those first 24 months or 24,000 miles – and you need to notify the manufacturer of the problem within 6 months following that period (24 months or the first 24,000 miles driven). This may seem like a lot to remember, but that is one of many areas where a Lemon Law attorney can be helpful.
If this process is seemingly complex, this is why it is suggested to consult a lemon law attorney. Having a professional assist with all of the above makes it easier at times to get information you need, while you only need to gather what you have and give them a starting point.
Most likely, you can go about the various tasks you have to accomplish while they work on the case preparations – with minimal input from you.
In today’s world, there are no limits on the to-do list, but there is always an issue with finding the time. Working with a lemon law attorney means they are doing what they do best, and you can focus on your to-do list. That seems like the best possible way to make it most likely you will win your case with a lemon law complaint.