Attorney At Law
Chicago area businesses have been hit hard by the pandemic, but that does not mean that they can take out their frustration on their customers. Illinois has a number of laws in place that are designed to give residents the ability to fight back against businesses that treat them unfairly. Vaziri Law files consumer protection class action lawsuits under these laws on behalf of our clients.
Risky Business
The Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act, Uniform Deceptive Trade Practices Act, Truth in Lending Act, Fair Credit Reporting Act, Fair Housing Act, Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, and other similar laws protect Illinois residents from a wide range of sneaky business practices including:
- Aggressive and abusive sales tactics;
- Shoddy merchandise, or misleading statements about a product’s origin, quality, or workmanship;
- False or misleading statements about a product’s uses or benefits;
- Breach of the implied warranty of fitness for a particular purpose;
- Sale prices that are unfair or misleading;
- Fraudulent charges or surcharges; and
- Many other shady business practices.
Each of these unlawful practices is at least improper, if not downright dangerous, but the harm caused to an individual consumer is often minor compared to the cost of bringing a lawsuit against the company for its bad actions. It is often the case that unless a consumer is suffering thousands of dollars in damages or more, it will cost more to bring the lawsuit than the plaintiff could possibly gain from doing so. Businesses know this, so they often willfully violate consumer protection laws.
It is not fair for businesses to get away with behaving badly just because it would cost a lot of money to prove they misbehaved. This is why consumer complaints are often pursued as class actions.
Class Actions Are The Best Way To Bring Big Business To Justice
In a consumer class action, a large group of individuals who have all been wronged team up to bring the business that harmed them to justice. The class of plaintiffs usually includes no less than forty people who purchased a defective or dangerous product, or who were tricked by dishonest and illegal advertising. Combining the group’s claims levels the playing field and increases the chances of the business being held accountable. It also ensures the business will start paying closer attention to their products, marketing, and sales practices.
Grouping similar claims into a class action is also a good use of judicial resources. Even if it were not cost-prohibitive to bring small consumer complaints as lawsuits, the number of them that exist would bog down the court system. Grouping similar claims into a class action allows the courts to help a lot of people at one time.
Consumers who participate in a consumer class action get the satisfaction of knowing that they are bringing bad actors to justice, and doing their part to prevent other consumers from being mistreated. If the class action is successful, the consumer who initiated it will typically receive some additional, monetary compensation for serving as the class representative. Other consumers who join the class may also be eligible for compensation. The amount of money each individual consumer is awarded in these cases is often quite small, which is why it is necessary to join up with others to bring a lawsuit in the first place. The main benefit from a consumer perspective is knowing a wrong is being righted.
Fueled by Passion. Built on Trust.
At Vaziri Law LLC, we are passionate about making the world fairer and just by checking corporate malfeasance. Bringing consumer class actions on behalf of Illinois residents who have been ripped off, lied to, or harmed by businesses is one aspect of that work.
If you think you have been wronged by a Chicago area business, please contact our office to discuss your concerns with our experienced attorney. You can trust us to take your complaint seriously, and do our best to make things right.