When dealing with consumer protection for your defective Audi vehicle, two legal practices come into play: lemon law claims and class action lawsuits. Lemon law claims protect the rights of lemon owners, while class action suits allow a group of people with similar complaints to sue the automakers collectively.
To file a complaint with Audi USA, you must first know which lawsuit you want to file. In this article, we’ll explore the details of each suit to help you determine which best fits your needs.
Lemon Law vs. Class Action Lawsuits
Lemon law is a set of regulations that protect vehicle owners from being stuck with their ‘lemon’ vehicles. These laws provide a way out for individual owners of defective cars, with remedies such as a refund, replacement, or repair. However, to prove your car is a lemon, it must meet certain conditions, such as the number of attempted repairs and the frequency of the defect. Read more about the Audi Lemon Law buyback settlement option, how it works, eligibility criteria, affected models, common defects, and case examples.
A class-action lawsuit is a legal procedure where a group of people with collective claims sue a manufacturer together. This is different from the lemon law claim, which is an individual action. In a class-action suit, the lead plaintiff files a case on behalf of the group of affected individuals.
Qualifying as a Lemon After Filing a Class-action Suit
A common mistake car owners make is thinking a class action suit automatically makes their car a lemon. This isn’t true, as several factors need consideration before deeming a car a lemon. However, even after joining a class action lawsuit, you can still find a way to deem your vehicle as a lemon if it meets the necessary requirements.
Opting Out of a Class-action Suit
Sometimes, opting out of a class-action suit is a good decision. If the issues raised under the class action significantly affect your vehicle, the settlement you receive may be less than what you would get if you file a lemon law claim. In this case, opt out of the class action settlement and proceed to file an individual claim against the manufacturer.
How Do Both Lawsuits Affect Each Other?
If a class action lawsuit is already going on for the same issues as yours, it makes your lemon law claim more provable. The class action may even affect your case to the point where the settlement you receive is more than what you would normally get.
Which Is the Better Option?
In general, lemon lawsuits are usually more profitable, as the amount you get from a lemon law claim is only for you. In a class action settlement, the compensation won gets split among the individuals in the class. Additionally, Audi lemon law claims in California are taken on contingency, meaning you don’t have to pay for any legal fees, as the manufacturers cover them.
Final Thoughts
Each legal approach has its benefits and considerations. Understanding both will help you make a more informed decision. To ensure you start your lemon case off right, consult with an experienced lawyer who can help you understand how the lemon law applies to your situation and provide the appropriate assistance and evaluation of your case.
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- 2021 Audi R8 ©Calreyn88 (CC BY-SA 4.0 License)
