Consumer Law

GM agrees to pay $120M to settle multistate claims on faulty ignition switches

General Motors has agreed to pay $120 million to settle claims by 49 states and Washington, D.C., over faulty ignition switches. A GM spokesman confirmed the settlement after an announcement by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and other state attorneys general, report Reuters and the Wall Street Journal (sub.…

Oct 19, 2017 1:28 PM CDT

Class action over unlisted drink prices at TGI Fridays is tossed; suit versus Carrabba’s survives

The New Jersey Supreme Court has refused to allow class action status for a lawsuit contending TGI Fridays violated state consumer protection laws by failing to disclose drink prices on its menus. But the same court allowed a narrowed drink-price class action against Carrabba’s Italian Grill and other restaurants owned…

Oct 6, 2017 7:00 AM CDT

800,000 student loans to be audited under proposed settlement; lender would pay at least $19M

The largest holder of private student loans has agreed to an audit of all of its 800,000 loans in a proposed settlement with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Sep 20, 2017 10:30 AM CDT

Does private probation company have a constitutional right to cash in on the poor?

They elect local judges in Craighead County, Arkansas, and two men decided two years ago to run for the bench there with a clear mission statement: if elected they would rein in a private probation company called The Justice Network and the local judge and prosecutor they said had countenanced…

Sep 18, 2017 2:57 PM CDT

DoNotPay chatbot adds feature allowing users to sue Equifax over data breach

Joshua Browder. Photo by Tony Avelar. Joshua Browder has unleashed his legal chatbot, DoNotPay, for those affected by the Equifax security breach. Multiple outlets reported Monday that DoNotPay will allow users to generate complaints against Equifax without having to hire a lawyer. The credit giant disclosed last week that it…

Sep 13, 2017 3:35 PM CDT

Delaware loses long-held No. 1 ranking for business-friendly legal climate to South Dakota

A periodic survey of corporations by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s legal-reform arm found that Delaware has lost its No. 1 ranking for being business-friendly in legal matters, dropping to No. 11, the Associated Press reports. Delaware had been No. 1 in the previous 10 surveys, and fell out of…

Sep 12, 2017 1:45 PM CDT

Subway foot-long settlement ‘utterly worthless’ to customers, 7th Circuit says

A federal appeals court has tossed an injunctive settlement in nine consolidated lawsuits that contended some Subway sandwiches fell short of the touted foot-long length.

Aug 30, 2017 8:00 AM CDT

Federal judge calls out law firm for ‘cleverly’ using ellipses

A California law firm was unable to persuade a federal judge in Santa Ana that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau had gone on an “impermissible fishing expedition” in seeking the firm’s debt-relief records. U.S. District Judge Josephine Staton called out Seila Law for using ellipses in trying to persuade the…

Aug 30, 2017 7:00 AM CDT

Judge tosses suits over ‘100 percent grated parmesan cheese’ label, sees ambiguity

A federal judge in Chicago has dismissed consolidated lawsuits claiming that “100 percent grated parmesan cheese” labels are misleading because the products contain cellulose and other ingredients. U.S. District Judge Gary Feinerman ruled Thursday, report Reuters, the Associated Press and the Consumerist. All the products had “100 percent grated parmesan…

Aug 25, 2017 10:39 AM CDT

Federal judge tosses suit claiming Zillow ‘Zestimates’ violate appraisal law

A federal judge in Chicago on Wednesday tossed a lawsuit claiming Zillow is violating the Illinois appraisal law with its online “Zestimates” of market value. U.S. District Judge Amy St. Eve said there was no violation of state law requiring that appraisals be done by licensed appraisers, and cited two…

Aug 24, 2017 10:53 AM CDT

Poland Spring bottled water isn’t from a spring, lawsuit alleges

Nestle’s Poland Spring bottled water is misleading consumers with claims that its product is “100 percent natural spring water,” according to allegations in a would-be class action lawsuit. The suit (PDF), filed earlier this month in Connecticut federal court, says Poland Spring comes from “common groundwater” and does not comply…

Aug 23, 2017 9:44 AM CDT

Debt collection law firm pays $1M in restitution to settle state suit

The largest debt collection law firm in Massachusetts has agreed to pay $1 million and to change its practices to settle a lawsuit filed by the state. Lustig, Glaser & Wilson will pay the attorney general’s office for restitution to consumers, according to a press release by Massachusetts Attorney General…

Jul 28, 2017 10:50 AM CDT

Suit claims Pokémon Go Fest didn’t live up to its billing

A Pokémon Go fan has filed a lawsuit claiming the app’s developer violated consumer protection laws when it held a festival that was marred by technical difficulties earlier this month in Chicago’s Grant Park. The July 27 suit by Jonathan Norton claims attendees waited in line for hours to enter…

Jul 28, 2017 10:10 AM CDT

DoNotPay legal chatbot now covers 1,000 areas of the law and creates additional chatbots for free

DoNotPay, the legal chatbot that rose to fame as a tool for drivers to challenge traffic tickets without having to consult a lawyer, has dramatically expanded its capabilities.

Jul 17, 2017 8:30 AM CDT

86 percent of low-income Americans’ civil legal issues get inadequate or no legal help, study says

A new report reveals the extent of the “justice gap” experienced by low-income Americans. The report (PDF), released on Wednesday, found that 86 percent of civil legal problems reported by low-income Americans in the past year were not addressed with adequate or professional legal help. The report, “The Justice Gap:…

Jun 14, 2017 12:44 PM CDT