Woman sues Equifax, wins 18.6 million over credit report mistakes

[edjr 5,567]

Read more: http://www.upi.com/blog/2013/07/29/Woman-sues-Equifax-wins-186-million-over-credit-report-mistakes/9711375146362/#ixzz2aXhk7xaL

 

 

 

 

Julie Miller, of Marion County, Ore., found out that her Equifax credit report contained false information when she was denied credit by multiple banks.

 

Miller said she contacted the company eight times over two years in an attempt to correct false information about her Social Security number, birth date and collection accounts. At one point, Equifax told her that her account had accidentally been combined with another person's.

 

After multiple years of trying to resolve the dispute, Miller took Equifax to court in 2011. On Friday, a jury ordered Equifax to pay Miller $18.6 million -- one of the largest-ever financial victories for consumer complaints against credit companies.

 

Miller's lawyer, Justin Baxter, told ABC News that the jury was sympathetic to the multiple ways that bad credit had impacted her life. In one instance, Miller couldn't obtain credit for her disabled brother.

 

He also said that Equifax's failure to protect Miller's personal account information constituted a breach of privacy that could have influenced the jury.

 

"There was damage to her reputation, a breach of her privacy and the lost opportunity to seek credit," Baxter said.

 

Equifax has yet to comment on the case, though it is likely that the company will appeal the decision

 

Thank god I haven't had to deal with this or stolen identity, but I've heard credit bureaus are impossible to deal with. Glad to hear someone finally was heard.

 

[The Moz 69]

Was this before or after appeals. I know Equifax is likely to appeal so the woman likely doesn't see a dime for a long time.

[RLLD 3,455]

Was this before or after appeals. I know Equifax is likely to appeal so the woman likely doesn't see a dime for a long time.

 

Agreed, The award is excessive, and in an appeal it will be reduced, but how sweet it is that justice was found against a player int eh system designed to harm people.

[pimptastic69 0]

For the amount of influence these three companies have on peoples' lives, it's amazing to me that that have not been more lawsuits. It doesn't appear to me that any of the three really give a fock whether they are correct or not, yet pretty much any company that deals with finance depends on the information.

[IGotWorms 3,315]

Good, fock those guys. I once got a fraudulent report on my credit report. Don't remember if it was Equifax or one of the others. Anyway this company would just report people and then try to extort money out of them to get it removed. It was a well known scam, reports all over the Internet and so forth. So I contacted the credit reporting agency and they flat REFUSED to remove it. Said they could only remove items at the behest of the creditor and basically didn't give a damn if it was fraudulent or not. I had to get an attorney and threaten to sue the motherfocking sh!t out of them before it was finally removed.

 

Guess I should've focking sued em though, if I could've gotten 18 mil out of those cocksucking motherfockers.

[The Moz 69]

 

Agreed, The award is excessive, and in an appeal it will be reduced, but how sweet it is that justice was found against a player int eh system designed to harm people.

Hell I would just say based on the decision you drop an appeal and I settle for 15 million rather wait like 3-5 years to see a dime.

[IGotWorms 3,315]

Hell I would just say based on the decision you drop an appeal and I settle for 15 million rather wait like 3-5 years to see a dime.

She'd probably have to settle for a lot less than 15 million for it to be worth Equifax's while to not appeal that large of a verdict. Say about half or "only" 9 mill.

[Recliner Pilot 61]

I had to get an attorney and threaten to sue the motherfocking sh!t out of them before it was finally removed.

 

 

[titans&bucs&bearsohmy! 2,745]

No attorney with half a brain represents themselves, particularly in a foreign

area of law, particularly against a massive company that you week have to fight a whole firm against.

 

Just like a gynacologist ain't gonna try to treat his own cancer.

[Recliner Pilot 61]

No attorney with half a brain represents themselves, particularly in a foreign

area of law, particularly against a massive company that you week have to fight a whole firm against.

 

Just like a gynacologist ain't gonna try to treat his own cancer.

I know all kinds of attorneys smart enough to write a letter on their own behalf in a matter such as this.

 

It's not a murder trial, Sport.

[Sho Nuff 719]

No attorney with half a brain represents themselves, particularly in a foreign

area of law, particularly against a massive company that you week have to fight a whole firm against.

 

Just like a gynacologist ain't gonna try to treat his own cancer.

 

Also depending on the type of law as well. Just as any accountant is not always a tax guy...and you don't want a chemical engineer designing bridges for you.

Not to mention worms did not even say when this was...perhaps even before he was actually a lawyer.

Though, we are in the midst of a great melt down...so lets see how this plays out.

[IGotWorms 3,315]

I was in law school.

 

I did write a letter myself and was just told they were "looking into it."

 

Needed a practicing attorney so the threat of actually filing suit had some teeth. Got a good attorney too, he was stoked because it could've been a huge class action and I would've made a dream class representative. Guy was hella bummed when his demand letter actually worked.

 

Thanks for caring though.