Consumer Fraud Class Action Lawyers

Class Actions: Combining Many Small Claims

When a big business defrauds a consumer, the consumer does not usually lose enough to take legal action – even if the consumer could afford to hire a lawyer and go through a long, expensive legal battle. However, when many consumers are victimized by fraud in the same way, they can be part of a class action lawsuit that represents all the consumers.

When a class of people are represented by the same legal team, they have access to serious litigating resources and enjoy much greater economies of scale. These types of actions can not only provide compensation to those victimized by the fraudulent conduct, but also stop the conduct itself and deter that business and others from acting in a similar manner in the future.

Class Action Lawsuit Attorneys

At Gray, Ritter & Graham in St. Louis, our lawyers have the experience and resources to pursue class action lawsuits against major corporations. Class actions are an important tool for making sure consumers are treated fairly. Using the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act and other laws, our trial attorneys are known for their ability to handle class action lawsuits. Below are examples of our representation in class action litigation.

Consumer Fraud Class Action Lawsuits

• Gray, Ritter & Graham, P.C. achieved a settlement in a class action lawsuit against the makers of a prescription pain reliever used for the treatment of certain arthritis conditions. The lawsuit sought more than $220 million in damages for all Missouri residents who purchased the drug.
• A major Internet provider promised to deliver certain Internet speeds to consumers. When the company could not deliver the promised speed to all consumers, it capped the speed below the promised speed. No one consumer could take on a big company in a consumer fraud case, but our law firm was able to get the case certified as a class action.
• A mobile phone system charged customers a 1.5% fee for late payments. Then the company decided it would increase that to a $5 minimum charge for a late payment, but did not change the contracts. That breach of contract case was certified as a class action.

Bank Overdraft Fee Settlement

Fees charged to customers by their bank when the account is overdrawn are not illegal, but it has been alleged that some banks manipulate the allocation of charges in order to increase overdraft fees. For instance, some banks start to process the transactions with the largest dollar amount and end processing with the smallest dollar amount transactions, rather than processing all of them in chronological order. This could mean that with the number of fees going up for all of the accounts subject to this manipulation, the bank’s revenue also goes up.

When this is done without being disclosed to the customers, there is a chance to file a class action lawsuit. Gray, Ritter & Graham has successfully pursued a number of suits related to overdraft fees. Last year, we obtained a $7.8 million settlement from a Missouri bank on behalf of customers who were deceptively charged overdraft fees on their debit card transactions.

Also, Gray, Ritter & Graham was involved in settlements as high as 19 million for similar claims within these past few years.

These class action lawsuits have resulted in refunds of improperly charged overdraft fees to thousands of customers. They have also had a positive impact on industry practices, including changes to the overdraft fee policy in numerous locations.

To learn more about this settlement, read our blog “Bank Overdraft Fee Settlements Prove Wide-Ranging Benefits of Class Action Lawsuits.”

Contact Gray, Ritter & Graham!

Other attorneys in Missouri, Illinois, Arkansas and nationwide know Gray, Ritter & Graham as a law firm that has the experience and knowledge base to try class action lawsuits. Those lawyers often bring their clients’ cases to GRG.

If you are a consumer or another attorney, it costs nothing to call and ask us to review your consumer fraud or potential class action case. Contact us as soon as possible so that we can evaluate the case and begin our investigation.