Attorney Eugene Krukas Once Again Calls Upon New York Political Leaders to Protect Consumers by Adding a "Safety Lemon" Provision to the New York Lemon Law

Bellmore, NY, June 26, 2013 --(PR.com)-- The Law Office of Eugene Krukas PLLC, a New York law firm focusing on consumer protection matters, announced today that it is urging New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, State Senate Co-Presidents Dean Skelos and Jeffrey Klein to update and improve the New York Lemon Law.

In a letter dated March 1, 2013 to the New York State political leaders, attorney Eugene Krukas urged immediate changes to the New York Lemon Law in order to protect the safety of New York residents. Mr. Krukas noted that since originally enacted in 1983, the New York Lemon Law has been a resounding success. However, while other states have improved their own versions of the statute over time, New York’s political leaders have failed to take important steps necessary to protect the safety of their constituents. Specifically, Mr. Krukas urged New York political leaders to add a "safety lemon" provision to protect consumers who may otherwise be forced to drive dangerous vehicles.

Mr. Krukas explained in his letter that in order to meet the requirements of the New York Lemon Law, owners of new cars must often demonstrate at least 4 repairs for the same defect. The statute does not distinguish, however, between run of the mill defects and potentially lethal ones. Mr. Krukas noted that he is routinely forced to advise clients to continue driving dangerous vehicles so that enough repairs can take place to qualify them for the New York Lemon Law. Examples of such potentially lethal defects can include stalling at highway speeds, brake failure, and malfunction of essential safety devices such as seat belts, air bags, and antilock brakes.

Mr. Krukas also noted that New Jersey, ranked by the Center For Auto Safety as having the second best Lemon Law in the Nation, recently added such a 'safety lemon' provision to its statute. The New Jersey statute requires automobile manufacturers repurchase or replace dangerous vehicles that continue to be defective after just a single repair attempt. Mr. Krukas suggested that New York, ranked seventeenth by the Center for Auto Safety, take similar measures.

While trying, over the past 10 years, to focus attention upon what he describes as “holes” in the New York Lemon Law statute, Mr. Krukas admits that it is not an easy task to gain the type of momentum necessary in the New York legislature to create change. Asked about what he hopes to accomplish, Mr. Krukas stated, “At the very least, I would like to get this topic on the agenda of our political leaders. Get them to take a second or third look. There is no way of knowing how many people have been injured or worse over the years because they were stuck driving a dangerous vehicle without recourse. It’s simply a matter of fairness. It isn’t right that automobile manufacturers routinely put New Yorkers at risk because of a technicality in the law. I am hopeful that our political leaders, who are elected to carry out the interests of the people, realize that a very small change to an existing law can substantially protect consumers in a manner that is consistent with fundamental fairness.”

The complete text of the letter can be viewed on Mr. Krukas' New York Lemon Law web site, http://lemonfreedom.com.