Transcript

Kaio Carter: You know that we want to help people. We want to make people’s lives better, make people’s lives easier. I think it’s a really good foundation to bring over into this area of law because, you know, consumer attorneys maybe they don’t they don’t think of it the same way. They don’t think of it as a workers’ compensation case. They think this is someone’s, you know, just something someone owns or, you know, just a product. It’s just money on the line. It’s not these people’s lives, but these people spend so much money on these things. So being able to bring this like workers’ compensation personal injury mindset to this type of law is going to it’s going to really help us and we’re going to we’re going to be able to fight fight a good fight for him.

Interview

Katie Frey: Welcome to Law Meets Life presented by Pond Lehocky where conversations go beyond the courtroom and into the people, experiences, and moments that define who we are. I’m your host, Katie Frey, and today’s guest, Pond Lehocky attorney Kaio Carter, is here to talk to us about something that affects most everyone. Kaio, thank you so much for being here.

Kaio Carter: Yeah, thanks for having me.

Katie Frey: Absolutely. Excited that you’re here to talk to us about something that again affects so many people and that is lemon law. So, Kaio, before we get into lemon law, I’m really interested about your path into law. Can you tell me a little bit about that?

Kaio Carter: Yeah, so I grew up in Southern California. My father was a lifeguard and my mother came from Brazil and worked as a nanny. So I grew up kind of around my dad being in public service and my mom coming from Brazil. Not really around the law a whole lot or or at least around lawyers a whole lot. So kind of had to figure out my own path path from there. I went to a undergrad studying business. Kind of broke into the corporate world. Worked for a few of the big studios in LA out of college. More on the business side. After a couple years doing that, I realized I kind of wanted to do something more impactful. I felt like my my job didn’t really mean a whole lot. So I decided to go to law school. And went to law school at University of California, Irvine out in Orange County. And there I kind of discovered a passion for litigation. I went in thinking I was going to maybe do more business transactional work like I was doing before law school. And I went there kind of realized I liked I liked you know arguing. And I liked, you know, writing motions, developing arguments, kind of working in that area of the law. And from there, I like most people at UC Irvine, I decided to start my career on the defense side. You know, they hire you pretty quick on the defense side. So, after my first year, you know, you land a job with one of these big defense firms and they kind of set it up pretty pretty well for you. So, it’s a good place to start your career, but after, you know, working there for, almost a year, I realized, you know, this just wasn’t for me. It’s not I didn’t feel like a real deep passion for it. I started to feel kind of how I felt, before law school working at a big just a big corporate company and like my my job wasn’t very meaningful. And on top of that, kind of sometimes I felt like I was kind of, you know, not screwing people over more so than helping people. And so, yeah, that’s kind of what’s led me here today. And, after kind of spending some time there, I was able to hone my my skills in litigation a little bit. I got a lot of exposure to how we operate on the defense or how how the defense operates. And yeah,

Katie Frey: I love hearing that the reason why you’re here sitting with us today is because you had that feeling that you needed a mission to help people. That’s such a recurring theme with all of our guests so far is that there is this like deep desire and sometimes it’s indescribable that you need to be helping people in a certain way and I just think that’s incredible. Is that something that you have always kind of had that drive? Is it something that you discovered as you were working in these different roles? I

Kaio Carter: I think a little bit and I think that’s something, you know, as I’ve gotten older, I realize it’s you chase these jobs and then you realize, you know, they really lack purpose, a lot of them. And you know, you think, you know, I come from, you know, my dad was a lifeguard, my mom was a nanny, and you know, I’m like, I need this big corporate job to do well in life. And, you know, you get there and you realize, you know, this is not this is not the answer. This is, you know, this feels empty. And yeah, I think I think yeah, that’s that’s kind of what And then, you know, after so many years of doing that, I’ve realized, you know, I need to shift. I need to I need to make a change and be more passionate. And it’s it’s hard to show up every day and do work that you don’t feel, you know, passionate about.

Katie Frey: And now you get to do that work.

Kaio Carter: Exactly.

Katie Frey: That’s awesome. I also am just so interested because I come from a broadcast journalism and marketing background. I find it so interesting when lawyers tell me I love to argue. Is that something that you’ve always loved arguing like ever since you were a kid or did you develop this?

Kaio Carter: So I think I don’t think I like arguing a whole lot in my personal life. It’s not like when I say argue I mean more like arguing court and it feels a little different and you feel like you have to be a little more it’s more strategic instead of just getting upset. You know you don’t it’s it’s much less emotional. It’s more, you know, you keep your cool and you have your plan, you strategize, and you kind of like figure out how you’re going to you’re going to frame arguments and how you’re going to persuade and convince a judge to rule your way. And so I think that’s that’s a big misconception I think is, you know, people think like, oh, you know, I’ll make a great lawyer because I love fighting with people. But that’s I don’t think that’s how it works. I think you need to, if anything, keep a level head and be able to be persuasive and talk to a judge and convince them that, you know, your position is the correct position and not not just get upset at them because I don’t think that’s going to get you anywhere.

Katie Frey: Yeah. Important perspective.

Kaio Carter: Yeah.

Katie Frey: So, what originally drew you to automotive litigation?

Kaio Carter: Yeah, I’ve always kind of been into cars. I think just kind of automotive litigation was always interesting me interesting to me because I think it just kind of touches on everyone’s life in some way. And it was like, you know, you could you could do going into my the firm I was at, you know, you could work on stuff that is really so niche that it doesn’t really, you know, doesn’t affect your daily life or it doesn’t, you know, it’s hard to relate to where I think automotive work is, you know, everyone has a car. Yeah. Especially in Southern California. So I think it’s just such a such a big piece of everyone’s life and it’s you know it’s the second biggest investment you make in life other than your house. So it’s something that you expect to keep you safe, you expect it to be reliable. You expect to enjoy it. And so it’s kind of a let down when when those, you know, when when you spend so much money on something, it doesn’t live up to those expectations, especially safety. You know, you absolutely you want to get in your car and feel safe. It’s, you know, it’s it’s dangerous driving a car and, you know, it’s it’s important that car keeps you safe and we have standards for that and they’re not always met.

Katie Frey: So that’s why we have you.

Kaio Carter: Exactly. Mhm.

Katie Frey: Now, you spent time representing manufacturers. I’m curious about what that experience taught you about this industry in particular.

Kaio Carter: So, it kind of just opened me up in general to just how how many cars are problematic. There’s, you know, so many lemon law lawsuits being filed in California. And I think that’s because California has a law that helps protect consumers better than other states. And I think there’s something to be said about, you know, that manufacturers are starting to cut corners and make cars cheaper. And that’s not reflected in the price. The prices have gone up, but and you could really see it because there’s big differences between the manufacturers. You know, some, you know, don’t have as many lemons as as others. And it there’s big gaps, really big gaps. I mean, there’s manufacturers making 10 times as many lemons as other manufacturers, for every vehicle they’re they’re producing. So, it just shows, you know, it’s manufacturers cut corners to make more money and the consumer ends up also paying more for the car and then getting a car that doesn’t work.

Katie Frey: So, so we’ve talked about how you’ve kind of made this switch from the dark side to now working for the greater good. I’m curious about what made Pond Lehocky the right fit for this next chapter for you.

Kaio Carter: I think Pond Lehocky, you know, being built around workers compensation and just having that mentality, having people like Sam, having people like Jerry, kind of guiding the firm, just it they’re a firm that wants to help people. And I think being able to bring that to consumers in California is just such a such a great opportunity. Because I don’t know if everyone everyone thinks that way. In this type of work in California and just having that background, you know, that we want to help people. We want to make people’s lives better, make people’s lives easier. I think it’s a really good foundation to bring over into this area of law. Because, you know, consumer attorneys maybe they don’t they don’t think of it the same way. They don’t think of it as a workers’ compensation case. They think this is someone’s, you know, just something someone owns or you know, just a product. You know, it’s just money on the line. It’s not these people’s lives, but these people spend so much money on these things. So, I think being able to bring this like workers’ compensation personal injury mindset to this type of law is going to it’s going to really help us and we’re going to we’re going to be able to fight fight a good fight for him.

Katie Frey: So, before we sat down together, you and I talked a little bit about how you grew up on the West Coast, you’ve never been to New York City, and this is really just the first time that you’re spending time in Philadelphia. So, I want to learn more about your perspective about the differences between West Coast, East Coast culture and really how that bleeds into the law.

Kaio Carter: Yeah. I think you guys are a little more intense on the East Coast. I think we in California

Katie Frey: We’re not scaring you.

Kaio Carter: No, my mom’s from Brazil, so I make this joke. I think on the East Coast, everyone kind of talks really loud and my mom’s the loudest talker there is. So, I’m like I think I fit right in sometimes for this. But I think there’s definitely a little more intensity over here. People I think we’re just as fired up, but maybe we don’t show it in the same way. Everyone’s a little bit more calm and collected where over here, you know, they wear their emotions on their sleeves, which I think is awesome. I think it’s fun, especially in Philadelphia.

Katie Frey: Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.

Katie Frey: And with our sports culture, too. You’re here during a very interesting time. The FIFA World Cup is here. I just heard you’re going to get to go to a game where Brazil is playing, which is going to be extremely exciting. So hopefully you can report back to us. Let us know how the game went. Super excited for that. And hopefully you get a win. Who are they playing?

Kaio Carter: They’re playing Haiti. So, it’s very cool. Yeah. I actually traveled to Brazil twice. I was there in I want to say it was like fifth grade for me over Christmas time and we went to I don’t know if it was a World Cup stadium. I have to check my pictures. But I remember walking in there and the second we walked into the stadium and onto the field, there was a soccer player there and everyone was telling us like, “That’s a famous player.” And me being like a fifth grader, I was like, “Okay, great.” Like when are we going to Iguazú?

Katie Frey: So, I’m curious about what has been the biggest surprise for you about joining a firm whose entire mission is centered around helping people every single day.

Kaio Carter: And I would I don’t know if I’ve been surprised, but it’s just been nice to see. I mean, you come from a big defense firm and you build, you know, an absurd amount of hours every, you know, every year and it’s like they’re known as just these people don’t stop working. That hasn’t changed though over here. You know, I come in here and these people are, if anything, working more because they’re so fired up. I think they’re they’re excited and it’s there’s there’s a different energy and it’s it’s actually been great to see. It’s it’s like I feel energized. I mean, being around everyone and I think yeah, it’s like you just feel a different presence with everyone and how they kind of want to, you know, wake up every every morning early and get after it. And yeah, it’s been you know, I think on the defense side, you kind of you know, you talk a lot of you say a lot of bad things about people at the plaintiff side and these people don’t do anything. They’re lazy. They’re they’re whatever. And then that is not at all true. That’s if anything, it’s the opposite. So yeah, that’s been that’s been not quite a surprise, but something that, you know, I didn’t see till I switched sides and now I see, you know, these people are really getting after it.

Katie Frey: So yeah, we’ll be back with more Law Meets Life after a quick message from our sponsor.

Sponsor Message

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Lemon Law Discussion

Katie Frey: I’m back now with Pond Lehocky attorney Kaio Carter. So, now transitioning a little bit more into lemon law. I have a lot of questions for you about lemon law because I know prior to learning about how we’re going into this new area of business. This was something completely new to me. May also be because I have a 2004 Hyundai passed down to me from my grandmother. But I’m curious from you, if someone hears the phrase lemon law, what does that actually mean?

Kaio Carter: Means you have a vehicle that was that is impaired in a way that affects the value use or safety. And it means you purchased your vehicle and now issues have come up that are impeding that use or that value or that safety. And so that’s that’s really what the law is and it covers a wide breadth because you know you paid a lot of money for that car. And you want to make sure that works properly.

Katie Frey: What are some of the biggest misconceptions people have about lemon law claims?

Kaio Carter: I think people think I think they think the car needs to explode sometimes before they have a claim. And that’s you know that would be you really don’t want to get to that point. So I think people maybe wait too long and think, oh, you know, my car is fine. I just I brought it in for repair. It was covered by warranty. You know, it’s okay if I have to bring my car in, you know, every few months. And that’s really that’s not what the law says and that’s not you know that shouldn’t be the case. That’s a lot of time out of your day. You have a car who knows if now it’s it’s had to be repaired so many times in the warranty period after the warranty periods done. You know you don’t now you’re outside of your window for your claim and you know you have a car that doesn’t work. So I think people think you know you need to you know like I said have a car that’s about to explode before you before you have a claim. But that’s that’s not what the law says. You have a claim when you’ve brought your your vehicle in multiple times for the same issue. You purchase the vehicle with a new-vehicle warranty. And that’s when you should start looking into into taking action on it.

Katie Frey: So it doesn’t have to be after your car has gone through like 5 hours of playing GTA.

Kaio Carter: Exactly. The second something comes up and then it recurs. Yeah. Recurring issues. That’s that’s going to be your your red flag. Because when you know if there’s an issue and it hasn’t been able to be repaired, that’s a red flag. There’s something going on. Absolutely.

Katie Frey: Do you have to buy a brand new vehicle to qualify?

Kaio Carter: You need a vehicle with a new-vehicle warranty. So there are situations where a car could be sold used with a new-vehicle warranty. So like a certified pre-owned vehicle. And those are sometimes viable cases.

Katie Frey: Gotcha. And how old can a vehicle be and still potentially qualify?

Kaio Carter: Generally, you want the vehicle to be purchased or delivered to you within the last 6 years to have a viable claim.

Katie Frey: When we first started talking about lemon law, we talked about how it covers a breadth of different defects. So, I’m curious, what type of defects in particular are we talking about? Is it just engine and transmission issues, or can other problems qualify, too?

Kaio Carter: So, it’s anything that’s going to affect the use, value, or safety of the car. And that’s broad that, you know, that there’s a lot of things that could affect those. I mean, your infotainment system not working, you know, that could affect the safety. You’re backing up and now, you know, you’re using your camera and all of a sudden it goes black. And then, you know, you could have people behind you don’t see. There’s there’s a lot of issues that could cause. So, there’s a wider breath than just engine and transmission. And that’s maybe a misconception people have. They, like I said, they need their engine to explode. That’s not true. They need, you know, just issues with the vehicle that affect the use, value, or safety.

Katie Frey: So, I want to transition into helping people know if they have a case or not. I know we’ve covered that large breath of different qualifiers. But I’m curious about what’s usually the first sign that someone should start paying closer attention to what’s happening with their vehicle.

Kaio Carter: So, I think anytime you have a repair on a major part of your vehicle, like your engine or transmission, even if it’s just once, that should be a red flag. You should start to consider, you know, something might be wrong with my vehicle. If you’ve had that same issue twice or any issue twice really, then you also should really be considering something might be wrong with my vehicle. And if you have anything at all that affects the safety of the vehicle, that’s really going to be a big red flag. You don’t want to be driving around in a car that’s not safe. And so I think if you know, if you have airbag issues, you have lights that are constantly coming on that just seem, you know, like you can’t figure out what’s going on, you’ve brought your car in for repair, they don’t really know what’s going on, that’s going to be an issue.

Katie Frey: So that’s more of a stop sign then at that point.

Kaio Carter: Exactly. Yeah.

Katie Frey: What documentation should people be keeping from day one?

Kaio Carter: They should be keeping their repair orders from the dealership. They should be keeping their their retail installment sales contract, so the initial purchase contract for the vehicle. They should be keeping their payment history, any documentations relating to communications with the dealership or with the manufacturer of the vehicle. And that’s about it. Yeah, those those documents are going to be really important to be keeping.

Katie Frey: What do you believe is the biggest mistake consumers make when dealing with repeated vehicle problems?

Kaio Carter: Not giving us a call. I think maybe just thinking, you know, I’ll just keep bringing my car in for repair and they’re going to fix this problem. And they’re really not. The car, something’s wrong with the car. And you know, a dealership could only do so much to repair it when the car is built faulty.

Katie Frey: So, when a claim comes in, what makes a manufacturer nervous?

Kaio Carter: I think they’re going to get nervous when they see when they see our name on it. They’re going to get nervous when they know their cars have problems. There those manufacturers that are, you know, producing lemons at mass. They’re going to get nervous when when they’re seeing, you know, this model, this make and model, you know, filing a lemon lawsuit. They’re they know they’re not going to win that one. They know the issues they have. They know the issues that are repetitive. And I think that’s going to scare them.

Katie Frey: Do you think people are worried about bringing their cars in repetitively because of that built-up cost without maybe thinking towards the future of having a lemon and maybe even getting more money than it even costs them to make those repairs?

Kaio Carter: I think that could definitely be an issue. Most of these, you know, you’d hope that a lot of these repairs are going to be done under warranty. And if they’re not done under warranty, then you, you know, we have an even stronger argument to make that, you know, these manu or these consumers are paying a lot of money out of pocket for these repairs and this car is not living up to the standards that, they should be.

Katie Frey: So, a few more questions about manufacturers because I think that your perspective is so valuable when it comes to lemon law in California. What do manufacturers wish consumers didn’t know?

Kaio Carter: I think manufacturers don’t want consumers to know how how many issues a lot of their cars have. They don’t want consumers to know that they’re they’re making cars that, you know, now have more issues than they did in the past. They don’t want consumers to know their rights in lemon law. They don’t want them to know, you know, that you do have viable claims in California where maybe in other states you wouldn’t have because, you know, the law in California has been set up to really help consumers and protect them. And also, you know, for these manufacturers, California is one of their biggest markets. So, if they want to, you know, hide hide a lot of those consumer protections from Californians, that’s that’s not really fair because they’re making so much money off everyone in California. So, I think it’s really it’s really important that consumers in California know their rights. You pay a lot of money. You pay a lot of taxes. You pay you pay a lot to live in the state. And you know there’s a lot of benefits to it as well and the law is one of them.

Katie Frey: All right, Kaio, I want to give you a few real life situations and I want you to tell me whether you’re paying attention or not. You ready?

Kaio Carter: Let’s do it.

Katie Frey: Okay. All right, Kaio. My transmission has failed twice in six months. You paying attention?

Kaio Carter: Yes, absolutely.

Katie Frey: You think we have a case?

Kaio Carter: Absolutely.

Katie Frey: What if my touchscreen freezes every week?

Kaio Carter: Definitely an issue. That’s a repetitive issue. If you brought it in and it’s continuing to happen, I think you have a case.

Katie Frey: My vehicle has spent 40 days in the shop.

Kaio Carter: You absolutely have a case. That is not something anyone should have to go through. And that is covered by the law.

Katie Frey: Long amount of time. My brakes keep making noise, but the dealership says everything is normal.

Kaio Carter: If the brakes are making noises, that could be a sign that there’s an issue. But if that’s just, you know, new brake pads and it does go away, then maybe it is just, you know, new brake pads. But that’s something you should be keeping track of.

Katie Frey: So you’re keeping an eye on it.

Kaio Carter: Keep an eye on that one.

Katie Frey: My check engine light keeps coming back after multiple repairs.

Kaio Carter: There’s absolutely an issue there. That’s something that you should be keeping track of and paying attention to.

Katie Frey: Awesome. So, why do you think so many consumers just accept these situations instead of exploring their rights?

Kaio Carter: I think maybe they’re they’re scared that they don’t have a claim yet. They think, you know, they’re the threshold hasn’t been met for their car to be a true lemon. I think they think it’s going to be maybe a lot of, you know, time and effort on their end. And they’re going to have to, you know, spend, you know, a lot of time trying to litigate this case, but at the end of the day, you know, a lot of these could get resolved quickly. And, you know, you’re spending just as much time at the dealership, right? If so, if anything, more time at the dealership. So, it’s I think people are hesitant to take action on these things. But the reality is these these could get resolved quickly, especially when you have a strong case.

Katie Frey: Have you seen people spend months or even years dealing with a problem vehicle when they could have taken action much sooner?

Kaio Carter: Yes. I think people, you know, they go beyond what they need to with building their case and sometimes and they will, you know, keep bringing their car in for fourth time, fifth time for the same issue and they could have brought their car in sooner because there’s clearly a clearly a defect that’s affecting the use, value, or safety of the car.

Katie Frey: Who should be calling you after hearing today’s episode?

Kaio Carter: I think anyone who bought their car in California, purchased it with a new-vehicle warranty, and has brought their car in for repair more than once for the same issue or has, you know, spent a lot of time with the at the dealership for repair. Anyone who thinks there’s a defect with their car that’s affecting its use, value, or safety. And anyone with those issues should definitely be giving us a call.

Katie Frey: If someone listening isn’t sure whether they have a case, what’s the first thing they should do?

Kaio Carter: They should give us a call. Yeah. If they don’t if if they’re unsure, then I think it’s more likely than not that they have a case and they should they should give us a call.

Katie Frey: Now, we’ve talked a lot about lemon law. We talked a little bit about your background, but I am curious about you. When you’re not practicing law, what do you enjoy doing?

Kaio Carter: So, I’ve I grew up surfing. I love surfing. Grew up by the beach. My dad’s a lifeguard. So, that’s that’s that’s my favorite hobby. What I spend most of my free time doing. I have a I have a beautiful wife and a son and expecting another son.

Katie Frey: So, congrats.

Kaio Carter: This August. Yeah.

Katie Frey: Oh my gosh. So soon.

Kaio Carter: Yep. Coming up very soon.

Katie Frey: Wow. So, that’s incredible. Yeah. Those are between, you know, surfing, practicing law and having a family, you don’t get to surf as much as I did when I was younger, but still my favorite thing to do after spending time with my family and yeah, congratulations. That’s incredible. Who had the biggest influence on your career?

Kaio Carter: Sam had a big influence. I, you know, I knew Dylan before law school and I came out and visited them out in Jersey and they you know, that was I met Sam the summer before I started law school. And I kind of, you know, I had known Dylan for a few years and then I’ve I’ve known them since. And I think just seeing what they do here has been definitely a big influence and that’s why I’m here now.

Katie Frey: So what’s a piece of advice that’s stuck with you throughout your life?

Kaio Carter: To not be afraid to just kind of try things. I think, you know, having the background I do have, you know, growing up with a dad who’s a lifeguard and a mom who was a nanny and came from Brazil, just like I didn’t have I feel like I didn’t have any boundaries set the way I looked at it. You know, I it’s kind of the reverse of what you’d think, but I think just growing up like that, I was like, I once I already broke into, you know, working in the corporate world, I’m like, I’ve already done so much. I’ve already taken such a different path than what I saw growing up that I think just trying trying whatever I want to whatever I want to try and going for it and not being afraid to kind of just take action, I think, is the big thing for me.

Katie Frey: Yeah, I love that.

Kaio Carter: Yeah.

Katie Frey: What has been the biggest learning curve for you going from because I can relate. My mom was an elementary school teacher. My dad was an engineer. None of my family was in corporate. And so I felt like I was learning a whole new language when I first joined corporate. I didn’t know what EOD meant. I didn’t know what looping somebody back in meant. So what has been the biggest learning curve for you entering that corporate world?

Kaio Carter: I think you go into the corporate world and they try and build all these bad habits. I think that’s why I’ve kind of tried to get away from it. It’s they want you to not try new things. They want you to just kind of fit in their model. And I think, you know, it’s that’s not a good way that’s not a good way to live. That’s not a good way to practice law. That’s not a good way to just contribute to the world is just by, you know, fitting their business model and what they want to do. And I think it’s important to it’s a they try and force you into this like way of working and thinking and it I think it’s I think in the long run it’s probably bad for lawyers and that’s kind of why I have made this jump. And I see people like Sam and Jerry and I think they’ve you know they’re not afraid to try things. They’re not afraid to go for it. They’re not afraid to make the fight. And so I think I don’t know if that’s a learning curve, but I think that’s something that, you know, I saw in that world and I wanted to get away from it.

Katie Frey: So, Kaio, if a friend called you and asked what kind of lawyer you are, what would you hope they’d say about you?

Kaio Carter: I hope they’d say I’m someone who who fights for fights for his clients. Someone who’s not afraid to go for it and make the arguments that need to be made, who’s going to, you know, work day in, day out, you know, fighting for their rights, fighting for for their clients, and trying to trying to help them make their life easier, make their life better, and fix whatever wrong has been kind of done to them.

Katie Frey: Kind of similar question. What’s one thing you want every client to feel after working with you?

Kaio Carter: I want them to feel safe. I want them to feel protected. I want them to feel as if, you know, they got the best representation that they possibly could have, that they couldn’t have gone anywhere better.

Katie Frey: So, Kaio, before we end our time together today, I would like to ask you some rapid fire questions.

Kaio Carter: Let’s do it.

Katie Frey: All right. Most overrated car feature.

Kaio Carter: I think yeah, maybe backup cameras. They cause more they cause a lot of issues. You know, they’d be great if if they worked all the time, but maybe maybe a little bit the manufacturers need to put a little more effort into those.

Katie Frey: Yeah, now opposite of that most underrated car feature.

Kaio Carter: Underrated probably the airbags or the Yeah, the airbags or the collision warning systems. Those are, you know, this is a great feature that’s been added into cars. And I hope they keep getting better, but you know, issues still come up with them. And but I think they’re an important feature in a modern car.

Katie Frey: That’s your dream car.

Kaio Carter: Dream car. I drive it already. It’s a Toyota Tundra. Yeah.

Katie Frey: Interesting. Nice. Dream car. I love that.

Katie Frey: Worst car you’ve ever owned.

Kaio Carter: Worst car I ever owned was a Ford Explorer, also known as the Ford Exploder. Yeah.

Katie Frey: Oh, no. I’m afraid to ask more questions about that.

Katie Frey: Best road trip destination?

Kaio Carter: Probably driving through Big Sur up to up to San Francisco from LA. That’s going to be a hard one to beat.

Katie Frey: That’s on my bucket list.

Kaio Carter: That’s a tough one to beat.

Katie Frey: I saw the redwoods for the first time last year. Yeah. Unreal.

Kaio Carter: Pretty beautiful.

Katie Frey: Oh my gosh. Yeah. Manual or automatic?

Kaio Carter: I like manual cars. I’ve driven them growing up. Driven them around Europe. I like them. I think they’re more reliable. There’s now I think more issues with transmissions because of the automatic transmissions. So I’m going to go with manual on that one.

Katie Frey: Most reliable manufacturer.

Kaio Carter: It’s going to be Toyota.

Katie Frey: That’s what my dad says.

Kaio Carter: It’s Toyota.

Katie Frey: One thing everyone should know before buying a car.

Kaio Carter: Everyone should know that when you buy a new car, you in California, you’re protected by the lemon law. That’s you pay a premium for that new car. And when you buy that, you should be well aware that if something’s wrong with it, you can file a lawsuit.

Katie Frey: Kaio, we talked a lot today about cars and trucks. What about motorcycles, RVs, and boats?

Kaio Carter: Those are also covered by the Song-Beverly Act. That’s those are those are if you have issues with those items, then you definitely should give us a call.

Katie Frey: Now, what if I’m injured from a lemon?

Kaio Carter: Then you possibly have a product liability case and you also want to give us a call. That is that’s a major issue that you need to contact a lawyer for.

Katie Frey: Now, Kaio, last question that I have for you today. What does law meets life mean to you?

Kaio Carter: I think this is a great way to get to know us as lawyers and us as people and get to teach people about the kind of rights they have and what kind of actions they could take to protect themselves and to right the wrongs that maybe they’ve faced.

Katie Frey: Kaio, thank you so much for being here today, taking time out of your day to sit down with us and teach us more about lemon laws.

Kaio Carter: Thanks for having me.

Katie Frey: Absolutely. And thank you all for listening to Law Meets Life from legal strategy to lived experience. Until next time.