An estimated 510 different collection agencies and creditors were sued under consumer statutes between Dec. 1-15, a jump from 428 in the second half of November, according to data from U.S. District Courts.
The Dec. 1-15 period includes 516 Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) lawsuits, up from 454 in the Nov. 16-30 period but down slightly from 535 in the Nov. 1-15 period; 49 Fair Credit Reporting Act cases; and 20 Telephone Consumer Protection Act lawsuits, according to WebRecon LLC, the Grand Rapids, Mich.-based research firm that compiles the data from the courts.
Of the total number of cases, there were an estimated 561 unique plaintiffs, including 181 who had previously filed under consumer statutes. Combined, these plaintiffs have filed an estimated 995 lawsuits since 2001.
Lawsuits were filed in 114 different U.S. District Court branches, including 39 in Colorado District Court in Denver and 29 in the Illinois Northern District Court in Chicago.
Year-to-date, consumers have filed 13,504 lawsuits - including 10,475 citing Fair Debt Collection Practices Act violations. Both numbers have surpassed last year. In 2009, consumers filed 8,287 FDCPA cases. In 2008, there were 5,188 FDCPA lawsuits filed across the U.S.
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