Consumer Protection

Videos on Consumer Protection:

What types of Consumer Protection cases do you handle?

That can run the gamut of everything from lemon law cases with the purchase of a new car. It can be online education, for-profit colleges – they can sometimes run afoul of the law. The bottom line is, the consumer is the backbone of the American economy. And too often, you have big corporations that are using deceptive practices to try and sell their products or their services. And when that occurs, if people believe that they have been victimized by that kind of deception, we take a look at that and give them our best advice as to whether the laws have been violated.

How do you charge your attorney fees on Consumer Protection cases?

There’s a couple of things people should always remember. A lot of times consumers are reluctant to come forward and pursue their rights because they think it’s going to be too expensive. Two things to keep in mind: First of all, these consumer protection statutes that we look at and that we try and enforce, they generally contain attorney fee provisions. So, if you’re successful in pursuing your case, then you’re going to recover not only your losses, usually with interest, but you would collect your costs including attorney fees.

Now the other thing to keep in mind is, I handle cases on a contingency fee basis so what that means is if we pursue your case and we win, I receive a percentage of your victory as my attorney fee. But if we pursue your case and we lose then I don’t get an attorney fee. So, it’s always worth at least taking a look at.

Enforcing Your Consumer Rights

Consumers are the lifeblood of the U.S. economy. Yet too often, large corporations use misleading and fraudulent tactics to sell their goods and services to consumers. These corporations might include banks, mortgage companies, investment firms, insurance companies, car dealers, home contractors, and online or for-profit colleges. Most states have enacted tough laws providing broad protections for consumers, and imposing significant sanctions against those who violate the laws. Special statutory protections are typically available for the elderly and vulnerable/disabled persons.

As an example, Minnesota consumers are protected by MINN.STAT. § 325F.67, prohibiting false statements in advertising, and MINN.STAT. § 325F.69, prohibiting fraudulent conduct in connection with the sale of goods and services. Additionally, MINN.STAT. § 325F.71 imposes significant civil penalties if the victim of the fraud is a senior citizen (age 62 or older) or a vulnerable/disabled person as defined in the statute. Most states have similar laws.

Consumers are often reluctant to hire an attorney to enforce their legal rights, fearing the costs might be too high. But keep in mind that most consumer protection statutes provide for the recovery of attorney fees and costs if you win your case. Also, if we agree to pursue your case, we will do so on a contingency-fee basis. That means that if you win, we receive a percentage of your recovery as our fee. On the other hand, if you lose your case, we do not receive a fee for our services.

If you believe you are the victim of consumer-directed misconduct, please fill out the form below to schedule a free consultation.