Consumer Protection
Consumer Protection Lawyer
When large companies cheat thousands or even millions of consumers out of relatively small sums of money, a consumer class action is sometimes the best option by which consumers can be compensated. We vigorously prosecute these cases and believe that these companies need to be held accountable.
Consumer protection laws have been created to protect consumers and ensure fair trade and competition in the marketplace. These laws are enforced on a federal level through the Federal Trade Commission, the Department of Justice, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
State level enforcement of these laws varies by jurisdiction; however, many states have adopted the Uniform Deceptive Trade Practices Act (UDTPA) while other states have laws similar to the UDTPA.
What We Do
At Paynter Law, we have experience handling a variety of consumer protection cases, and we work hard to ensure our clients’ interests are protected. For example, when our firm learned that a network of fly-by-night debt settlement companies was fleecing consumers out of millions of dollars annually, we located the payment processing company behind the scheme and sued them in federal court. Following several years of litigation, the payment processing company is no longer in business, and our plaintiffs have received a class-wide default judgment in the amount of $1.4 billion. We then successfully pursued the company’s surety bonds to obtain compensation for the consumers.
We handle a wide variety of consumer protection matters including:
- Fraud
- Unfair & Deceptive Trade Practices
- Misrepresentation
- False Advertising
- Data Breaches
- Identity Theft
- Antitrust Matters
Pursuing a Claim
If you have been harmed because of a violation of consumer protection laws and are thinking of pursuing an action, contact us today. We’ll talk with you to assess the facts of your case and determine if you fall within the statutory definition of a consumer. This means that you are acting as an individual or legal entity that has used or been offered a product or service generated by the marketplace.
As a consumer you may be able to seek a specified penalty or, in instances where many people have been harmed by the same product, bring a class action lawsuit. Depending on the facts of your case and applicable state and federal laws, you may have grounds to bring an action against one or more entities including the offending company. Available consumer protection damages vary by state but may include equitable relief, civil penalties, compensatory damages, punitive damages, and attorneys’ fees.
Call us today to learn more and to discuss your rights and options.
