Consumers filed an estimated 524 consumer statute lawsuits in the first half of July, down from 567 in the second half of June.
The breakdown, according to data gathered from U.S. District Courts, includes 460 Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) cases, 70 Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) lawsuits and 25 Truth-in-Lending Act cases. Some lawsuits cited more than one violation.
An estimated 539 different collection agencies and creditors were sued in the first half of July, specifically July 1-15. The total is down from 634 in the second half of June but up from 500 in the first half of June.
Of the total cases, there were approximately 536 unique plaintiffs, including 184 who had sued under consumer statutes before. Combined, those plaintiffs have filed an estimated 1,102 lawsuits since 2001.
The top courts where lawsuits were filed include: New York Eastern District Court - Brooklyn, 25 lawsuits; Colorado District Court - Denver, 25; and Pennsylvania Eastern District Court - Philadelphia, 21.
Year-to-date, 6,899 total consumer statute lawsuits have been filed against agencies and creditors in the U.S., including 6,348 FDCPA cases. The most active consumer attorney in 2011 is David M. Larson, who has represented 198 consumers, and Craig T. Kimmel, who has represented 173 consumers.
