U.S. consumers sued an estimated 563 different collection agencies in the July 16-31 period, according to data pulled from U.S. District Courts. The half-month total is up from 539 in the July 1-15 period but down from 634 in June's second half.
There were an estimated 539 consumer statute lawsuits filed in the second half of July - including 464 citing Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) violations, 71 Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) actions, 34 Truth-in-Lending Act (TILA) actions and 12 Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) actions.
Of the total plaintiffs involved, an estimated 186 previously had sued under consumer statutes. Combined, they have filed an estimated, 1,042 lawsuits since 2001, according to WebRecon LLC, a Grand Rapids, Mich.-based firm that tracks the data from the courts.
Year-to-date, consumers have filed 7,431 lawsuits - including 6,809 FDCPA, 764 FCRA, 679 TILA and 240 TCPA.
The most active consumer attorneys so far in 2011 include: David M. Larson, who has represented 211 consumers; Craig T. Kimmel, 192 consumers; and Jack D. Card Jr., 164.
