Year-End Lawsuit Numbers Revised Upward, Reach 12,000

Since releasing 2011 litigation numbers, WebRecon LLC has revised the year-end total after finding some omissions that, as it turns out, had depressed the count.

As a result, Fair Debt Collection Practices Act complaints reached 12,018, as opposed to the previously reported 11,811 (see story). Both Telephone Consumer Protection Act and Truth-in-Lending litigation also are now higher than previously reported.

Fair Credit Reporting Act cases increased as well, although the change was less dramatic. 

The total number of consumer statute lawsuits reached 12,788, with 13,024 unique plaintiffs.

In January, when the year-end figures were first released, Jack Gordon, CEO at WebRecon, said: "The growth rate of FDCPA litigation has plummeted over the last two years, though it is important to note that the number of FDCPA lawsuits filed does continue to grow each year, just on a shrinking trajectory."

FDCPA litigation hit its peak growth in 2009, when it rose 52% over previous year numbers. That dropped to 19% in 2010, and is just 8% in 2011.