Consumer Class Action Attorneys

Holding Companies Accountable for Violating Consumer Rights

If a company’s deceptive business practices physically or financially harmed you, you should talk to an attorney to find out if you’re eligible for compensation as a result. If it’s clear that the company broke one or more federal or state consumer protection laws, you may be encouraged to take legal action to ensure they’re held accountable for any damage they’ve caused you and your family.

Depending on the details of your case, a consumer class action lawsuit may be the right option. The trusted lawyers at Atlas Law Center would be happy to review your situation and determine if you should pursue this or other legal actions to protect your rights as a consumer in Illinois. Contact our Chicago law office today to schedule a meeting with our caring legal team.

What Is a Consumer Class Action Lawsuit?

Class action lawsuits are one of many possible legal actions you can take after a business has violated your consumer rights. These lawsuits allow individual consumers to come together to bring a single legal action against a company that has harmed all of them in similar ways. With this type of case, only one person has to appear in court as the plaintiff, but everyone in the class action lawsuit shares the compensation if the case is successful.

This kind of legal action has become necessary over the years due to innumerable businesses resorting to underhanded practices designed to trick or take advantage of consumers in order to increase profits, without regard to the safety or satisfaction of their customers. In such instances, some consumers aren’t sure if it’s worth it to take legal action against a company for one issue that might not result in much financial compensation.

However, when they can combine their claim with others similar to theirs, they may be able to reduce the time and energy spent on the case while increasing the total compensation. Experienced lawyers can let you know if a class action lawsuit would be your best option, or if other legal strategies would be preferable.

In general, class action lawsuits involving banks, major corporations, and financial service providers are the ones that generate a lot of publicity and result in multi-million-dollar settlements. However, the reality is that any provider of goods or services can be guilty of defrauding consumers in some way. The most common types of businesses that have been known to engage in deceptive practices include (but are by no means limited to) the following:

Gyms and fitness clubs
Nursing homes
Financial institutions
Automobile manufacturers
Producers of electronics and software
Grocery store chains

No matter what kind of business lost your trust, you should talk to Chicago lawyers who have successfully handled consumer class actions to find out if you’re a good candidate for this type of legal action. You deserve the chance to be compensated for your losses, and our law firm would be happy to assist with this. Call Atlas Law Center today to learn more about the class action litigation services we’re proud to offer our clients.

When Are Consumer Class Actions Necessary?

Companies can take advantage of their consumers in a variety of ways. Unfortunately, most of them are well-concealed and go unnoticed by many consumers until they have already become victims. However, when a consumer or group of affected consumers notices that a company has manipulated or taken advantage of them, a class action provides them the opportunity to pursue compensation.

Some offenses that could warrant a consumer class action against a business include:

Deceptive sales tactics
False advertising
Data breaches
Illegal charges to clients’ accounts
Unauthorized withdrawals
Forcing consumers to unlawfully waive their rights
Unfair or misleading contract provisions
Illegal or unethical use or sharing of consumer data
Inaccurate credit reporting
Unfair debt collection practices
Unfair business practices
Criminal background check errors
Selling defective products (this can include products of any kind, from automobiles to computers to kitchen appliances)

If you have reason to believe you’re the victim of these or other violations, you should contact our law firm to discuss whether a consumer class action is the right path for you. We’ll make sure you understand the possible outcomes of your case, which will depend on the type of damage you suffered and what your goal is.

Class action lawsuits can serve several purposes, the most common ones being compensating victims and persuading businesses to adhere to state and federal consumer protection laws. In some cases, new laws may be created to protect consumers when it’s apparent that the current laws aren’t effective.

For example, if you or your family members suffered physical injuries or death due to defective products, you deserve compensation to pay for any necessary medical care, lost wages, funeral costs, or other expenses you incurred due to the company’s negligence. The other consumers who join the class action will also be compensated, meaning one legal action can benefit many people at once.

Furthermore, your case could lead to the company being fined or otherwise punished for breaking federal and state consumer protection laws. This could ensure they’re more careful to adhere to them in the future. So, if it’s clear the company broke the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, or any other laws meant to protect consumers, significant fines and other consequences can push them to change their practices to avoid such violations in the future.

In some cases, agencies like the Consumer Product Safety Commission might investigate the issue and decide that new laws are necessary to better protect consumers like you. In this way, some class actions can make a significant impact on more than the people involved in the case, preventing others from being victimized by the same company in the future. If you’re interested in any of these potential outcomes for your case, contact our law firm to speak with experienced attorneys who are eager to represent clients like you in class actions.

Should You Take Part in a Class Action Lawsuit?

When you meet with consumer class action attorneys to explore your legal options, they will review the details of your situation to decide if a class action is the appropriate action to take. In Illinois, you must meet certain requirements to initiate a class action lawsuit against a business. The following are the main qualifications for class actions:

The number of consumers affected by the company’s wrongdoing is so large that it would be impractical and inefficient to file separate lawsuits
All consumers in the class have legal claims that are similar enough to include in one case
The representatives are dedicated to protecting the interests of the class
All claims in the class have common questions of law or fact

Experienced attorneys can consider your case to determine if class action litigation is the most effective way to get the outcome you want. This will depend on how many other victims have cases like yours and would benefit from litigation in court by the class counsel you’ve chosen.

If it’s apparent you don’t meet the requirements of class actions, your attorney can go over other legal options. For instance, if your case is unique and there are not several other consumers whose rights were violated in similar ways, your attorney might suggest initiating a regular lawsuit against the business that harmed you or your family members. Either way, Atlas Law Center can represent you so you can start working toward the results you have in mind for your case. Contact our law firm today to discuss how we can help with your legal issues.

How Can Illinois Consumer Class Action Attorneys Assist You?

If you were negatively affected when a business violated your consumer rights, it’s time to contact an Illinois law firm to determine how to get justice. Whether the violation in question involves misleading advertising, defective products, unfair business practices, or other harmful actions, you might be entitled to compensation.

Our legal team has represented clients in class actions and other types of lawsuits over the years, so you can trust us to help you navigate your case with ease. We understand how intimidating it can feel to prepare your case to be litigated in a United States District Court, but you can trust our team to guide you through every step until we achieve a fair outcome for you and the other members of the class action lawsuit. If you’re looking for experienced class counsel for your case, call 331-321-4748 today to speak with our skilled attorneys.