An estimated 440 different collection agencies and creditors were sued between Jan. 16-31, a slight increase from 426 sued in the first half of the month, according to data from U.S. District Courts.
There also were an estimated 440 separate lawsuits filed under consumer statutes in the Jan. 16-31 period, including 411 Fair Debt Collection Practices Act lawsuits, 47 Fair Credit Reporting Act lawsuits and 29 cases citing violations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, according to WebRecon LLC, the Grand Rapids, Mich.-based research firm that compiles the data from the courts.
There were 449 unique plaintiffs in the Jan. 16-31 period. Of those plaintiffs, an estimated 178 had sued under consumer statutes before. Combined, those plaintiffs have filed an estimated 922 lawsuits since 2001.
The most active courts in the recent half-month period include: Illinois Northern District Court in Chicago, with 33 lawsuits; and Pennsylvania Eastern District Court in Philadelphia, with 22 lawsuits. The most active consumer attorneys were Robert T. Healey Jr., representing 12 consumers, and Phllip C. Rogers, 10 consumers.
Craig T. Kimmel of Kimmel & Silverman, in Ambler, Pa., has represented 30 consumers in lawsuits in 2011 and is the most active consumer attorney this year.
Last year, consumers filed an estimated 13,901 lawsuits against collection agencies and creditors last year, including 10,914 FDCPA cases. Both numbers shattered the previous records set in 2009, see story.
To comment, contact Darren Waggoner at darren.waggoner@sourcemedia.com or 815.463.9008.
