Your credit report must be accurate and fair. If it’s not, we can help dispute errors, fix your file, and enforce your rights under the FCRA.
Identity theft can destroy your credit. We help remove fraudulent accounts and repair your report using your rights under the FCRA.
False information on background checks can cost you jobs or housing. We help correct background check errors under the FCRA and related laws.
Incorrect mortgage reporting can hurt your credit and homeownership goals. We help fix mortgage errors and protect your rights under the FCRA.
Being mistakenly marked as deceased on your credit report can ruin your finances. Our attorneys help fix this serious FCRA violation.
Errors on your rental history can affect housing opportunities. Dispute inaccurate rental reports under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).
Consumers have many rights under federal law. Among these is the right to have accurate credit reports, including background checks, employment reports, and rental reports. Unfortunately, the consumer reporting agencies (also called the “credit reporting agencies”) often fail in their obligations under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Regardless of the underlying reasons for the credit inaccuracies (such as identity theft or “mixed files”), credit inaccuracies can both hurt your credit score and cause many types of associated harm. For example, inaccurate background checks can prevent you from obtaining a new job (or cause you to lose your job), and inaccurate rental reports can prevent you from obtaining housing.
Our dedicated attorneys are credit reporting experts who know the necessary steps to fix inaccurate credit reports and demand appropriate remedies. We do this work on a contingency basis. This means that—unlike credit repair companies who charge you monthly fees and cannot recover damages for your losses—we are only paid when we obtain compensation for you.
Inaccurate credit reports can occur for a variety of reasons. The most common include a false missed payment mark, a failure on the part of a financer to provide up-to-date information, and identity theft. It is also possible that a background check company could report an arrest that never occurred or state that a person is in default on a court judgment.
At the minimum, a person with an improperly negative report may find that they face higher interest rates on loans. This could add thousands to a potential payment plan. In other situations, a lower credit score could result in a denial of financing for necessary home repairs, a new vehicle, or even a place to live.
Similar concepts apply to the use of background checks. The FCRA requires these companies to produce accurate information on these reports. Unfixed errors could result in the loss of employment opportunities or rejections on housing applications.
Being able to calculate how an inaccurate report has impacted your life is essential to protecting your legal rights. A consumer protection attorney could take the lead in this process as a step towards recovering the compensation that you deserve.
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) provides that all credit reporting companies have a duty to provide accurate information concerning your credit history and background. A major part of this includes thoroughly investigating allegations that a credit report is inaccurate. Once a company receives this report, it must act quickly to take appropriate steps to resolve the matter. It is when a failure to take these steps results in financial harm that you have the right to demand a remedy.
The providers of background checks must also act when an apparent error comes to their attentions. The FCRA holds these companies to the same standards as those who provide credit reports.
The nature of this remedy depends upon the nature of the reporting company’s failure. If the error is the result of a mistake or simple error, the law says that you can demand compensation in the amount of your actual losses. A consumer protection lawyer in could help to calculate those losses.
The other potential remedy is available when an error is the product of willful misconduct. This could include intentionally ignoring evidence of an error. Here, the law says that all people can demand a remedy of between $100 and $1,000, even if the error did not impact their finances. They also have the option of demanding compensation in the amount of their actual losses.
The credit agencies and background check companies have an affirmative duty under the law to produce accurate reports and take allegations of errors seriously. Whether this error was the product of identity theft, an improper submission of data from a credit card company, or a mistake concerning your identity on a report, reporting companies must take these matters seriously. A failure to adhere to this duty means that these companies are liable for all resulting damage.
A consumer protection lawyer could help you to pursue appropriate compensation. This could result in the receipt of the payments you need to regain financial stability. We work on contingency, meaning that if you do not recover compensation, our legal services are free. Contact us today to make an appointment.
