Honda Civic Hybrid lawsuit could go guerrilla in small claims courts
12-27-2011, 04:30 PM
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Apathy Kills
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Honda Civic Hybrid lawsuit could go guerrilla in small claims courts
Filed under: Green Culture, Hybrid, Honda, Legislation and Policy
Think back to 2007, and the case of John True, the man who sued Honda for what he said were misleading claims about the fuel economy of the Civic Hybrid. The EPA said the car got 42 combined miles per gallon, but True got more like 32. Honda settled what became a class-action lawsuit out of court in 2009, although even at that time we were wondering if it was a fair deal. The proposed settlement gave Civic hybrid drivers the option to get either up to $1,000 off the purchase of a new Honda or a $100 check if they could prove they complained to Honda about the mileage. The lawyers in the case were made millions, and 26 state attorneys general called the settlement "not fair, adequate or reasonable." Heather Peters was one of those Civic hybrid drivers, and she's found a way to strike back.
Peters' solution is the Torrance, CA Small Claims Court. Since California law prevents Honda from bringing in an attorney, Peters figures the sides are more balanced, and she's asking for $10,000, "to compensate her for spending much more on gasoline than expected," writes the LA Times. Peters goes to small claims court on January 3rd, and is rallying other unhappy 2006-2008 Civic hybrid drivers - of which there are many - to do the same where they live. She's created DontSettleWithHonda.org and set up a Twitter account to share information about the strategy that the Times calls "a small-claims flash mob" that could herald a whole new way of individuals asking for fairness when big corporations make mistakes or intentionally do something wrong. This could get interesting.Honda Civic Hybrid lawsuit could go guerrilla in small claims courts originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 27 Dec 2011 12:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Think back to 2007, and the case of John True, the man who sued Honda for what he said were misleading claims about the fuel economy of the Civic Hybrid. The EPA said the car got 42 combined miles per gallon, but True got more like 32. Honda settled what became a class-action lawsuit out of court in 2009, although even at that time we were wondering if it was a fair deal. The proposed settlement gave Civic hybrid drivers the option to get either up to $1,000 off the purchase of a new Honda or a $100 check if they could prove they complained to Honda about the mileage. The lawyers in the case were made millions, and 26 state attorneys general called the settlement "not fair, adequate or reasonable." Heather Peters was one of those Civic hybrid drivers, and she's found a way to strike back.
Peters' solution is the Torrance, CA Small Claims Court. Since California law prevents Honda from bringing in an attorney, Peters figures the sides are more balanced, and she's asking for $10,000, "to compensate her for spending much more on gasoline than expected," writes the LA Times. Peters goes to small claims court on January 3rd, and is rallying other unhappy 2006-2008 Civic hybrid drivers - of which there are many - to do the same where they live. She's created DontSettleWithHonda.org and set up a Twitter account to share information about the strategy that the Times calls "a small-claims flash mob" that could herald a whole new way of individuals asking for fairness when big corporations make mistakes or intentionally do something wrong. This could get interesting.Honda Civic Hybrid lawsuit could go guerrilla in small claims courts originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 27 Dec 2011 12:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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