Lemon Law in the News

California Lemon Law Lawyer, Norman Taylor, has spent over 20 years representing California auto consumers to ensure they receive the full benefits available to them under the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act. Listed here are a only a few of the numerous press-worthy cases where the law firm of Norman Taylor & Associates has successfully reached resolutions on lemon law claims.

Award Against BMW Sends Strong Signal

"...A California Superior Court jury awarded what is believed to be the largest 'lemon law' award in history last month on a BMW - $174,000 in total damages.

The verdict included $82,000 assessed against the company to buy back the car, but it also imposed a civil penalty of $92,000, a staggering amount in lemon lawsuits and obviously a potent message to the industry...' They told me that my using the car phone was causing the problem...that I wasn't driving enough.'

Norman Taylor, Forest's attorney, asserted that "nothing in BMW's literature that came with the car said there was a minimum number of miles you have to drive to keep the car operating..."

Los Angeles Times - November, 1991 by Ralph Vartabedian

State's 'lemon law' costs carmaker cash, customer

"...Try as he would, Dr. Robert Tall just couldn't get the folks at General Motors to repair or replace his $42,000 Cadillac Fleetwood, even though the car had been in the shop 60 of the first 90 days he owned it.

Tall walked out of a Glendale courtroom last month with a full refund, but it took a 3-year legal ordeal and the aid of a Glendale law firm specializing in California's complex "lemon law"...Norman Taylor deals exclusively in lemon law cases and has represented about 1500 car buyers in the past five years, making the firm one of the most successful law firms in a highly specialized legal niche. In a preponderance of those cases, it has emerged on the winning side..."

Glendale News-Press - May, 1992 by Steve Ryfle

Attorney helps new-car buyers crying 'lemon'

"...Two days after Edick Abramian proudly drove his new BMW off the dealer's lot, he says, he brought his $24,000 car back for service. He was back again a month later, and then nine more times...Like a lot of other people with similar problems, Abramian turned to Norman F. Taylor, a Glendale attorney whose specialty is representing new-car buyers who believe they bought lemons ...Taylor recommends that all new car buyers take certain steps, just in case the hot-looking car they got off the showroom floor turns out to be a clunker.

"The first thing you have to do when you buy a car is keep track of all the repairs and make sure the service department writes down everything they're going to fix or look at, " Taylor said. "And keep your own maintenance records. Because it's a war of attrition between the consumer and the manufacturer."

Daily News - February, 1989 by Ann Wiener

Suit Filed against GM

"...A Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit filed Thursday claims that General Motors Corp. knowingly sold large numbers of cars with faulty transmissions.

The class-action suit was filed by attorney Norman F. Taylor, a specialist in "lemon law" cases, who has pursued a series of legal actions against GM...the suit alleges that a transmission used in GM front-wheel drive cars was installed with too-powerful engines, causing buzzing noises, erratic shifting, slipping during acceleration, and clutch failures, Taylor said..."

Associated Press - February, 1991

Couple Win $33,000 under 'Lemon Law'

"...When we bought the car brand new, that told us that with buffing the bubbles would come out, but as soon as I took it to the car wash, the paint came off," Maria Michel said... The car was in the shop 182 days in the first 10 months the Michels owned it, attorney Norman Taylor said....

The law firm (Norman F. Taylor) last year won what is believed to be the largest lemon law judgment in US history on behalf of a Beverly Hills business whose BMW 750i turned out to be a lemon. That judgment was for $160,000 ..." (1991)

by Mary Anne Perez

Chrysler settles lemon claims for a price

Eric Evarts contacted Mr. Taylor to better understand how the Chrysler bankruptcy would affect settlements of lemon law claims.

"Consumers who take cash settlements for lemon vehicles in lieu of selling the vehicles back to Chrysler are being asked to sign a release that indemnifies Chrysler and its dealerships "from all known and unknown claims, damages, costs, attorneys fees, expenses, loss of services, personal injuries, and property damage."

Chrysler spokesman Michael Palese says the release is "a very standard waiver that is signed all the time."

However, according to attorneys whose clients have been asked to sign the waiver, the clause implies that even if a current Chrysler owner who suffers a future accident caused by a defect in the car will have no recourse to Chrysler, according to Norman Taylor, Principal at Norman Taylor and Associates in Glendale, Calif."

Consumer Reports, July 1, 2009 by Eric Evarts

Lemon Laws Protect Consumers from Deceptive Warranty Practices

"According to Norman Taylor and Associates, the Lemon Law comes in to play when complaints are made that repeated check ups are needed because of the failure to meet the standards of quality and performance..."

AAMP Daily News Source, August 9, 2010 by Jane Randolph