Jan. 13, 2016—On Dec. 28, a judge in Catawba County ruled that City Chevrolet Automotive Company (Charlotte, N.C.) must pay treble damages in the amount of $330,811.98 to Benjamin Ridley for returning his Range Rover inadequately repaired.
FenderBender spoke with Billy Walkowiak, president of Collision Safety Consultants, who explained that Ridley came to him because he believed there were issues with his vehicle. He said that the car did not drive properly and that there were gaps in the hood and problems with the paint.
Walkowiak performed a post collision repair inspection, as did Michael Bradshaw from K&M Collision, and they both found alarming repairs and poor quality. It was concluded that the vehicle should have been deemed a total loss and that it needed a new frame. City Chevrolet refused to pay K&M’s bills for their work.
Ridley filed a lawsuit against City Chevrolet for falsely presenting his vehicle as fully repaired. Ridley was represented by attorney Jason E Taylor.
Judge Daniel Kuehnert ruled in favor of the plaintiff and and awarded him treble damages of $110,270, totaling $330, 811.98. The dealership also had to pay witness fees and attorneys expenses for the trial.
