Rhode Island General Laws 31-5.1-13. Civil remedies
(a) Notwithstanding the terms, provisions, or conditions of any agreement or franchise or the terms or provisions of any waiver, any consumer who is injured by a violation of this chapter, or any party to a franchise who is so injured in his or her business or property by a violation of this chapter relating to that franchise, or any person so injured because he or she refuses to accede to a proposal for an arrangement which, if consummated, would be in violation of this chapter, may bring a civil action in the superior court to enjoin further violations, and to recover the actual damages sustained by that person together with the costs of the suit, including a reasonable attorney’s fee.
Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 31-5.1-13
- Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- person: may be construed to extend to and include co-partnerships and bodies corporate and politic. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-6
- United States: include the several states and the territories of the United States. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-8
(b) Any motor vehicle dealer or franchisee shall have the right to civil damages; including a reasonable attorney’s fee, for any loss sustained as a result of a violation of this chapter. A final judgment, order, or decree rendered against a person in any civil, criminal, or administrative proceeding under the United States anti-trust laws, under the Federal Trade Commission Act, 15 U.S.C. § 41 et seq., or under this chapter shall be regarded as prima facie evidence against that person subject to the conditions set forth in the United States anti-trust laws (15 U.S.C. § 16).
History of Section.
P.L. 1974, ch. 292, § 1; P.L. 1981, ch. 346, § 1; P.L. 1982, ch. 448, § 1.