BANKS, CAMERON v. GENERAL MOTORS

PLACER COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT FRIDAY, CIVIL LAW AND MOTION DEPARTMENT 1 COMMISSIONER CHRISTINE S. DEHR TENTATIVE RULINGS FOR SEPTEMBER 4, 2026 AT 8:30 A.M.

22. S-CV-0056384 BANKS, CAMERON v. GENERAL MOTORS NOTE: If oral argument is requested in this case, it shall be heard on SEPTEMBER 4, 2026 AT 1:00 P.M. in DEPARTMENT 1.

Plaintiffs’ Motion for Attorneys’ Fees, Costs, and Expenses

The motion is granted. In the current request, plaintiffs seek $16,527.50 in attorneys’ fees, a multiplier of 0.5 for an additional $8,263.75, and $2,157.75 in costs pursuant to Civil Code section 1794(d). The buyer who prevails under the Song-Beverly Act - colloquially referred to as a “lemon law” case - is statutorily entitled to attorney’s fees and costs. (Civil Code section 1794(d); Pulliam v HNL Automotive Inc. (2021) 60 Cal.App.5th 396, 405-406.) The prevailing party has the burden of showing the requested fees and costs were reasonably incurred, reasonably necessary, and reasonable in amount. (Ibid.) The reasonableness of any attorney’s fees award begins with the lodestar calculation, i.e. the actual time spent and the reasonable hourly compensation for the attorney. (Ketchum v. Moses (2001) 24 Cal.4th 1122, 1135; Pulliam, id. at p. 406.)

The court has carefully considered the number of hours expended by counsel along with the hourly rates for comparable work within Placer County and awards $12,422.50 broken down as follows:

NAME RATE HOURS TOTAL Sepehr Daghighian $425/hr 12.1 $05,142.50 Michael Rosenstein $425/hr 2.2 $00,935.00 Miguel Ortiz $375/hr 1.8 $00,675.00 Jim Martinez $350/hr 16.2 $05,670.00 TOTAL 32.3 $12,422.50

The court has carefully considered the issues presented in the case; the nature and extent the litigation precluded other employment for counsel; and the contingent nature of any fee award and declines to apply either a positive or negative multiplier. (Mikhaeilpoor v. BMW of North America, LLC (2020) 48 Cal.App.5th 240, 247-248.)

The court has carefully considered the costs and finds them to be reasonable.

In sum, the motion is granted. Plaintiff is awarded $12,422.50 in attorneys’ fees and $2,157.75 in costs.

PLACER SUPERIOR COURT – DEPARTMENT 1 Friday Civil Law and Motion – Tentative Rulings