Automotive Dealer Expert Witness Defined
What an Automotive Dealer Expert Witness Does:
- acts as an automotive expert witness for both auto dealerships and private individuals.
- gives expert opinion on a variety of matters during courtroom trials as well as mediation and arbitration hearings.
The following are just a few possible situations an expert witness can help:
Provide Assurance for Dealerships
Dealerships have a lot to oversee, including accounting work, tax and insurance work, and employee safety. If a tax dispute arises, an expert witness can lay out the state or federal tax laws that apply. Tax expert witnesses are also usually accountants. Bryan, for his part, is a CPA and is knowledgeable about income, gift, and estate taxes as well as the nature of IRS disputes.
An Auto Dealer Expert Witness also Valuates:
• Lost intangible assets
• Lost profits
• Liquidation values
The information gained from these valuations can be presented during a case involving, for example, an issue with the business owners policy. An automotive dealer expert witness is familiar with the differences between retail dealers and wholesale dealers. If a car repair done at a dealership leads to a legal conflict, he can examine the repair reports and interpret them for the court.
An automotive dealer expert witness should also be consulted when dealerships confront charges of dishonest trading, marketing, and selling practices. This will establish a clear idea of what’s dishonest under the appropriate laws.
Provide Assurance for Private Individuals
Individuals who buy from dealerships can sometimes be tricked through dishonest business practices. Auto dealer fraud law protects against any kind of non-disclosure (withholding of information) and affirmative misrepresentation (giving deliberately false information). It’s important to have an automotive dealer expert witness who can break these rules down for the jury. An Automotive Dealer Expert Witness can do this whether the case involves an auto warranty scam or a dispute over the exact definition of “as-is” condition. He can also explain the state’s lemon laws during cases where clients believe they bought a lemon from a dealership.
Legal issues aren’t limited to dealerships, though. In the case of an auto accident, an automotive expert witness can perform a hands-on investigation to find out its cause. Whether the problem lay in the engine, brakes, suspension, or fuel system, he or she puts the technical details into layman’s terms. If bad roads contributed to the accident, the expert witness can present the state’s construction laws. Expert witnesses can also be hired for damage studies and even for an evaluation of the opposing party’s expert reports.
Conflicts with insurance companies might also require an expert witness. If a client believes that the insurance company hasn’t given him or her the fair market value for a damaged vehicle, an knowledgeable expert witness can give his experienced opinion on what the car’s value really is.
When car owners and dealerships find themselves in a legal dispute, it’s advisable to retain an automotive expert witness like Bryan Parker. Call today for a free consultation.
