A former corporate defense lawyer is suing American Honda Motor Co. in small-claims court for false advertising.

Heather Peters, 46, said in a statement that while Honda advertised that its Civic Hybrid cars would get 50 miles per gallon, her 2006 Civic Hybrid only got 30 mpg as its battery got older, ABC News reported.

Peters is seeking damages of $10,000 – the maximum allowed in California, where her trial occurred today, USA Today reported. Peters said that would compensate her for the extra she paid for the car because it is a hybrid plus the additional gas she bought and the car’s lower resale value.

Peters explained she was suing in small-claims court rather than joining one of several class-action lawsuits claiming Honda ads were misleading because the potential payout is bigger, the Associated Press reported. According to Peters, a settlement to those suits has been proposed that would give each class member no more than $200 cash and a rebate of $500 or $1,000 to put towards a new Honda. Meanwhile, she said, according to the AP, trial lawyers would earn $8.5 million.

Because she opted out of a class action, if she loses her case, she will walk away with nothing, ABC News reported. But, Peters told ABC News in an interview on her way to the trial in Torrance, Calif., today, "I'm willing to bet $200 I'll do a lot better!"

According to the AP:

If other Civic owners follow her lead, she estimates Honda could be forced to pay as much as $2 billion in damages. No high-priced lawyers are involved, and the process is streamlined.

“If I prevail and get $10,000, they have 200,000 of these cars out there,” she said, according to the AP.

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