Orange County Lemon Law Attorney

Bickel Sannipoli APC, Orange County Lemon Law Attorneys

Bickel Sannipoli APC is a lemon law firm devoted exclusively to litigating California lemon law claims on behalf of California consumers. We are based in Southern California and represent consumers statewide, including Orange County.

Attorney Brian J. Bickel founded the firm in 2005 as a firm devoted exclusively to California lemon law claims, and thousands of cases and many trials later, that is what we remain today. Consumer consultations are always free, and every client is represented on a contingency basis. We are only paid if we win, and our hourly attorney fees and costs are paid by the manufacturer under the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act, California’s lemon law.

Orange County Lemon Law - Settlements and Trials: Fortunately, the great majority of our lemon law claims settle without the need for trial. However, for the small percentage of our cases that do proceed to trial, our Orange County lemon law attorneys have exceptional trial experience, and as a lemon law trial firm, we have an outstanding track record.

We are known in the industry for our tenacity throughout the litigation process. This gives us leverage when negotiating with the manufacturers. Under California Civil Code § 1794(c) of the Song-Beverly Act, a defendant manufacturer must pay the consumer’s attorney’s fees and costs on a prevailing claim. Losing a jury trial will cost a manufacturer hundreds of thousands of dollars in the consumer’s attorney’s fees and court costs. Given our reputation for trial, manufacturers are often eager to settle quickly and efficiently to avoid the mounting fees and costs associated with litigation.

Bickel Sannipoli’s Lemon Law Trials in Orange County: We took on our first Orange County lemon law case in the summer of 2005. Yet, we did not have a lemon law case proceed to trial in Orange County until 2010. Our first Orange County lemon law trial was Christie vs. Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC, Orange County Superior Court, Case No. 30-2009000117469. The Honorable Josephine Tucker presiding. Mercedes was defended by Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP who tried the case against our trial lawyers at Bickel Sannipoli APC. The Christie trial involved a high-end 2008 Mercedes-Benz S-Class S550 with an electrical defect manifesting in problems with the navigation system and power door locks. Mercedes contended that because the Fletcher Jones Mercedes dealership could not duplicate the electrical problem, it did not exist. The jury found for Ms. Christie, and Mercedes-Benz was ordered to provide full restitution to Ms. Christie.

Bickel Sannipoli APC’s more recent Orange County lemon law trials:

• Sislin vs. Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., LLC, INC. Orange County Superior Court, Central Justice Center. (2020). The Honorable Theodore Howard presiding. Toyota was represented by Beatty & Myers, LLP. Bickel Sannipoli APC prosecuted the trial for Mr. Sislin. The trial involved a 2016 Toyota Tacoma, which suffered from a violent shaking in its steering column. The trial lasted seven days, and eight witnesses testified. The jury rendered a verdict for Mr. Sislin, and Toyota was forced to repurchase the vehicle.
• Kirker v. Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc.. Orange County Superior Court, Central Justice Center. (2024). The Honorable Shawn Nelson presiding. Beatty & Myers, LLP defended Toyota in the trial. Bickel Sannipoli APC litigated Mr. Kirker’s Orange County lemon law case. The trial involved a 2018 Toyota Tacoma, which suffered from a defect in its collision-alert system. The lemon law trial lasted seven days, and nine witnesses testified. The lawyers at Bickel Sannipoli APC proved Toyota’s failure to comply with the Song-Beverly Act was willful, and the jury awarded the maximum possible civil penalty award under California Civil Code § 1794(c) of two times the actual damages. Mr. Kirker’s actual damages for the repurchase were $66,449.81, and the 2x civil penalty award was $132,899.62 for a total award to Mr. Kirker of $199,899.62.

Orange County Lemon Law Overview

The California Lemon Law was enacted to protect consumers who have purchased or leased a defective vehicle. When a car is covered by an express warranty, and the carmaker or its dealerships are unable to properly repair the car under the warranty after a reasonable number of attempts, a California consumer may be entitled to restitution under the Act.

The Vehicle Warranty: The California lemon law generally covers vehicles that are purchased or leased with a warranty. For qualifying vehicles, the lemon law requires the manufacturer to repurchase a vehicle if it has been unable to conform the vehicle to the warranty after a reasonable number of repair attempts or after a reasonable time. The law covers cars, trucks, sport utility vehicles, vans, and some commercial vehicles.

The warranty is an essential component of an Orange County lemon law claim. To qualify as a lemon, the car must have suffered from a warrantable defect. Therefore, problems resulting from accidents or customer abuse or neglect are not covered by the lemon law. Similarly, conditions resulting from normal wear and tear would not be covered by the law.

Reasonable Opportunity to Repair: The manufacturer is required to repair the vehicle and to conform the defect to the warranty within a reasonable number of repair opportunities under California Civil Code § 1793.2(d). What constitutes a reasonable opportunity to repair is subjective and taken on an individual case-by-case basis. Sometimes, we’ll want to see three or four visits for the same concern before taking a case. Other times, we can take a case with only one visit if the vehicle has spent an extended amount of time at the dealership undergoing repairs.

Under the Song-Beverly case, Oregel v. American Isuzu Motors, Inc. (2001) 90 Cal.App.4th 1094, the only affirmative step a consumer must make is to permit the manufacturer or its dealership a reasonable opportunity to repair the vehicle. If the manufacturer’s dealerships are unable to do so, that is not the consumer’s responsibility. In other words, the consumer must only present the vehicle for repair. If the dealership fails to diagnose the problem, the consumer will have satisfied his or her obligation by presenting it for repair a reasonable number of times. Therefore, a dealership must not actually attempt physical repairs for a repair visit to count.

Orange County Lemon Law Restitution: If the manufacturer and its dealerships are unable to repair the vehicle defect after a reasonable number of repair attempts, the manufacturer must provide restitution to the consumer. Restitution involves a buyback or refund to the consumer in exchange for the return of the defective vehicle to the manufacturer. Restitution typically includes a refund of the down payment, monthly payments made, and incidental damages less a credit to the manufacturer for the good use of the vehicle before it was first presented for repair. As a part of the repurchase, the manufacturer will also pay off the outstanding vehicle loan or lease.

Before we file a claim on your Orange County lemon law claim, an attorney at Bickel Sannipoli APC will itemize the recovery we’ll be seeking on your behalf, including the statutory mileage offset credit, so you will know the recovery we will be seeking before you move forward with your lemon law claim.

The Bickel Sannipoli Difference

We represent consumers in Lemon Law claims in Orange County and across California. Although our primary office is located in San Diego, all of our Orange County lemon law claims will be filed and litigated locally in Orange County Superior Court.

Our skilled team provides key benefits to consumers in Orange County and throughout the State of California:

• Knowledge and Experience. Our trial attorneys have an in-depth understanding of California’s Lemon Law. We have helped thousands of California consumers through the lemon law process since the firm was established in 2005.
• Exclusive Focus. Unlike other law firms who take on Song-Beverly claims as one of many areas of practice, we limit our practice exclusively to California lemon law claims. That is, every member of our team handles lemon law claims every day. We do not litigate anything but California lemon law cases.
• Convenience and Accessibility. No matter where you are located in California, whether it’s Orange County or elsewhere, we can help. When you call our firm, we will review your case and explain what is involved in your lemon law claim. Our goal is to make the litigation and settlement process as simple as possible for our clients.
• Commitment and Dedication. We will provide you with a clear understanding of what to expect during your free consultation. Before you retain us, we will include an itemization of the recovery we will be seeking on your Orange County lemon law claim. Once retained as your legal counsel, we will help you through the process and oversee the execution of your settlement. We appreciate the opportunity to serve you, and we want all of our clients to feel 100 percent confident in choosing Bickel Sannipoli APC to prosecute their lemon law claims.
• Trial-Ready Orange County Lemon Law Attorneys. We have successfully settled thousands of California lemon law claims without the need for a jury trial, most for a statutory repurchase. But our team is proven trial-ready in the event that a manufacturer is unwilling to settle.

FAQs: California Lemon Law in Orange County

How can I find out if I am eligible to file a California Lemon Law claim?

If your vehicle is or was under warranty and you have given the dealership a reasonable number of opportunities to repair a recurring warranty issue, then you may have a strong claim under California’s lemon law. So long as your first repair visit was made within the warranty period, you may be entitled to relief.
If you are having an issue with your vehicle and you would like to find out if you are protected under the Lemon Law, we encourage you to contact us for a free, no-obligation consultation.

Can I file a claim under California’s Lemon Law if I have a car loan or lease?

Yes. California’s Lemon Law provides protection to consumers who finance and lease their vehicles as well as those who purchase their vehicles outright. Finance charges and interest can be recovered as a part of your restitution, including the loan or lease payoff.
What can I expect from Bickel Sannipoli APC in my Orange County lemon law claim?

We’re seeking statutory restitution in every case we file. If the manufacturer fails to promptly offer to repurchase the vehicle, we will litigate the case until they do. The manufacturers have a financial incentive to settle early because, on a prevailing consumer claim, they are responsible for the attorney fees and costs for both sides. If the manufacturer does not make an acceptable offer, and assuming an unexpected dispositive motion is not granted, we will try the case before an Orange County jury. On a vehicle repurchase, we will oversee the vehicle surrender and refund distribution process with the manufacturer.

Will I need to travel out of Orange County for my lemon law claim?

No. We can conduct your initial consultation over the phone and receive documents by email. Most of our Orange County lemon law claims are settled without the need for an in-person meeting. If a meeting is necessary through the litigation process, we will arrange it locally for you in Orange County.

What can I expect from my lemon law consultation with Bickel Sannipoli?

If you call our office during business hours (M-F, 8am-6pm), we will start the intake process from your initial call. A staff member from our office will be available for the consultation; your call will not go to voicemail during business hours. If you choose to submit online for the consultation, we can typically be in touch the same business day. If you submit after hours, we will call you the next business day.

For the initial call, we will ask you for basic information such as your contact information, the year, make, and model of your vehicle, and the current vehicle mileage. We will ask you about the problems you’ve been experiencing and how many visits to the dealership you’ve made.

The consultation does not need to be scheduled in advance, and it typically takes a matter of minutes. If your case sounds like something we can help you with, we will ask that you submit your purchase or lease contract and repair orders for attorney review.

How long has Bickel Sannipoli been in business? What is your record in Orange County?

Attorney Brian J. Bickel founded the firm (then called “The Bickel Law Firm, Inc.”) in 2005. Since then, we have grown from a one-attorney operation into a fully staffed law firm. We have filed and litigated thousands of lemon law claims throughout California and in Orange County in particular. The majority of our Orange County lemon law cases have settled in litigation, but we have also had success in jury trials in Orange County courts when the manufacturers have refused to settle.

Bickel Sannipoli APC, Orange County, and the California Lemon Law

Bickel Sannipoli APC is a law firm that exclusively represents individuals in claims under California’s Lemon Law. We’ve represented clients in Orange County in lemon law claims against every major automobile manufacturer, and we do not charge any up-front fees. We work on a contingency basis, and we are only paid if and when we prevail in the case. This means that it costs you nothing out of pocket to hire our firm and to litigate your Song-Beverly case. We make it as easy to pursue your lemon law claim in Orange County, and we will keep you updated throughout the process, including the case resolution, vehicle surrender, and recovery and distribution of your funds.

Orange County is the third most populous county in California. According to U.S. Census Bureau estimates, more than 3.15 million people lived in Orange County in 2022. As can be expected, a large number of cars and drivers populate the area, with the California Department of Motor Vehicles reporting over 2.6 million estimated vehicle registrations in Orange County.

If you live or work in Orange County, you know how essential it is to have a reliable vehicle. At Bickel Sannipoli APC, our goal in every case is to get our clients a refund for their vehicle as quickly as possible.

Orange County Courts:

Orange County Superior Court
Central Justice Center
700 Civic Center Drive West
Santa Ana, CA 92701

Orange County Superior Court
Civil Complex Center
751 West Santa Ana Blvd
Santa Ana, CA 92701

Orange County Superior Court
Harbor Justice Center, Newport Beach Facility
4601 Jamboree Road
Newport Beach, CA 92660-2595

Orange County Superior Court
North Justice Center
1275 North Berkeley Avenue
Fullerton, CA 92832-1258

Call For Your Free Orange County Lemon Law Consultation

CONTACT US TODAY: If you are dealing with a defective vehicle and need help with your Orange County lemon law claim, call our firm or submit online to discuss your case today.

Bickel Sannipoli APC
San Diego Office
701 B Street, Suite 1200
San Diego, California 92101

Bickel Sannipoli APC
Los Angeles Office
10940 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1600
Los Angeles, California 90024-3944

Bickel Sannipoli APC
San Francisco Office
One Sansome Street, Suite 3500
San Francisco, California 94104

Phone Number: 888-800-1983

If you are dealing with a vehicle that the dealerships have been unable to fix, you may be able to receive legal relief. Contact our office today at 888-800-1983 or submit online. Consultations are always free.