CSPA Damages in Ohio Lemon Law Cases

The Ohio Consumer Sales Practices Act (CSPA) provides damages multipliers and additional attorney fees beyond the Ohio Lemon Law’s statutory § 1345.75 attorney fees.

What CSPA recovers

A successful CSPA case for vehicle-warranty issues typically recovers:

• Actual economic damages.
• Treble damages for “knowing” violations.
• Statutory damages of $200 per violation OR treble actual damages, whichever greater.
• Mandatory attorney fees under Ohio Rev. Code § 1345.09(F).
• Court costs.

What “actual damages” means

For warranty-breach CSPA cases:

• Difference between what was paid and the vehicle’s actual value.
• Consequential damages.
• Loss of bargain damages.

Treble damages — when they’re available

The CSPA treble multiplier applies when the violation was knowing.

Evidence of “knowing”:

• TSBs.
• Internal warranty-claim records.
• Customer-relations notes.
• Misrepresentations.

How damages calculations work

For a typical Ohio lemon vehicle:

• Purchase price: $42,000
• Vehicle current resale value: $20,000
• § 1345.72 Lemon Law refund: Full math.
• CSPA actual damages: $4,000-$8,000.
• CSPA treble damages (knowing): $12,000-$24,000 OR $200 statutory minimum trebled.
• Attorney fees under § 1345.75 and CSPA: $30,000-$60,000+ paid by manufacturer.

Settlement leverage

Scenario	Typical settlement value
Lemon Law alone	100% refund + § 1345.75 fees
Lemon Law + CSPA (no knowing)	110-140% refund + fees
Lemon Law + CSPA (knowing violation)	150-200% refund + fees
Lemon Law + CSPA + treble exposure	175-300% refund + fees

The $200 statutory damages

CSPA’s $200 statutory damages provision provides a floor — even cases without proven actual damages can recover $200 statutory minimum (or trebled to $600). This is a unique feature of Ohio CSPA.

Why most CSPA cases settle

Mandatory attorney fees + treble damages + § 1345.75 fees + statutory damages + discovery exposure → strong settlement pressure.

Bottom line

CSPA amplifies Ohio’s already-strong Lemon Law. For cases with documented manufacturer knowledge, CSPA exposure plus § 1345.75 fees creates very strong leverage.

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