CPA Damages — Maryland Deceptive-Practices Layer

The Maryland Consumer Protection Act (CPA) layers additional damages on top of the Maryland Lemon Law — particularly actual damages and mandatory attorney fees under § 13-408(b).

What CPA recovers

Under § 13-408:

Actual damages — losses caused by the deceptive practice.
Mandatory attorney fees under § 13-408(b) — separate from § 14-1502 Lemon Law fees.
Costs.

No automatic multiplier damages

Unlike some peer-state UDAPs, Maryland CPA does NOT automatically multiply damages:

NJ CFA: mandatory § 56:8-19 treble.
NC UDTPA: automatic § 75-16 treble.
WA WCPA: mandatory treble capped at $25K.
CT CUTPA: discretionary uncapped common-law punitive.
IL ICFA: discretionary treble for willful.
TN TCPA: discretionary treble for willful/knowing.
IN IDCSA: discretionary treble or $500 min (with cure notice).
MA c. 93A: mandatory 2x or 3x on inadequate tender post-demand.
Maryland CPA: actual damages + mandatory fees (no automatic multiplier).

Maryland CPA’s strength is in mandatory fees and broad coverage rather than damages multipliers.

When CPA applies in vehicle cases

CPA covers vehicle-related deceptive practices:

Misrepresentation of vehicle condition, options, or history.
Failure to disclose prior accidents, salvage, or known defects.
Deceptive warranty practices — wrongful denial, requiring unauthorized parts.
Lemon Law violations can be CPA per se.
Dealer fraud — bait-and-switch, fee inflation, F&I deceptive add-ons.

Mandatory § 13-408(b) attorney fees

§ 13-408(b) is treated as functionally mandatory for prevailing plaintiffs by Maryland courts.

3-year SOL

CPA actions are subject to Maryland’s 3-year general SOL. Discovery rule applies.

Pleading practice

Best practice in Maryland Lemon Law cases:

Lemon Law (§ 14-1501) — refund/replacement + mandatory fees.
CPA (§ 13-101) — actual damages + mandatory § 13-408(b) fees.
Magnuson-Moss — federal-court access + mandatory fees.

Bottom line

CPA provides Maryland consumers actual damages and mandatory attorney fees — though without the multiplier damages of NJ/NC/CT UDAPs. The 3-year SOL and mandatory fees make CPA a meaningful overlay to the Lemon Law.

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