Featured Practice Area

Telephone Consumer Protection Act

Few things are more irritating that being interrupted by unwanted sales calls. Even worse is having telemarketers take up your valuable cell phone minutes or fax paper. In 1991, Congress passed the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) to help protect people like you from these abuses.

Prohibited Conduct

Under the TCPA, telemarketers are prohibited from:

  • making calls to cell phones using automated telephone dialing equipment or an artificial or prerecorded voice without consent
  • sending unsolicited advertising faxes
  • sending unsolicited advertising text messages
  • calling residences before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m., local time
  • failing to honor the national Do Not Call registry

What You Can Do

Congress also gave the TCPA some teeth: violators may be liable for up to $1,500 in statutory damages for each violation. If a company adopted a systematic policy of violating the TCPA, a class action claim might be possible for damages and/or a court order stopping the illegal practice. Caddell & Chapman is currently representing plaintiffs bringing claims on behalf of classes of consumers seeking such remedies against telemarketers.

You May Not Be the Only One

At the law firm of Caddell & Chapman, our attorneys have more than a decade of experience handling significant privacy class actions, including claims under federal privacy statutes such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and TCPA on a nationwide basis.

When you contact us to review your complaint against a telemarketer, we will thoroughly review whether other people have been impacted as well.

If that is the case, we will pursue a class action lawsuit to seek compensation for everyone who has suffered damages due to the same act of wrongdoing, and to order the defendant to change its practices.

Contact us today to discuss your case with an experienced lawyer.

Fair Credit Reporting Act

Do you believe that there has been an error on your credit file which has negatively affected your credit score? Has this error caused you to be denied credit? Has it brought on higher interest rates or increased insurance premiums?
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Do you believe that there has been an error in your background information that has caused you to be denied employment or to be terminated from your job?

These errors should not happen. They are clear violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). You have the right to seek compensation for the damages caused by these credit reporting and background check errors.

Unsurpassed FCRA Experience

Caddell & Chapman has served as lead or co-lead counsel in some of the largest FCRA class actions in history, including:

  • a case that recovered $100 million on behalf of consumers whose confidential financial information was used to create and sell “target marketing” lists to advertisers;
  • a ground-breaking settlement that changed the way the debts of consumers who have filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy are reported nationwide; and
  • a settlement that will give every adult in the United States the right to view and correct information being collected about them by one of the nation’s largest data brokers.

No matter how big the case, we can help.

Common Credit Reporting Errors

Some of the most common types of errors on credit reports provided by credit reporting agencies—including Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion—is the reporting of debts that are not actually owed or that are owed by someone else. Also common is the reporting of debts older than 7 years, which by law must be removed from your report. You can visit our review site about debt consolidation. If you have experienced inaccurate reports that damage your credit, contact us to investigate.

Criminal Background Check Errors

Many common criminal background check errors involve merged files. This happens when the files of two people with the same name are merged together. If one has a criminal record, it will show up in the other’s background check, regardless of the fact that the two people have different birth dates and Social Security numbers. Caddell & Chapman was co-lead counsel in one of the largest ever class action recoveries involving criminal background checks. For those seeking to clear their criminal record, also called expungement Michigan law requires meeting several important conditions.

Know Your Rights

If you were denied housing or a job based on negative information in your credit report, you have a right to see a copy of that report and dispute the information. If companies willfully fail to comply with these FCRA provisions, you may be entitled to statutory damages of $100-$1,000 per violation.

If it Happened to You, it May Have Happened to Someone Else

At the law firm of Caddell & Chapman, our attorneys have more than a decade of experience handling significant FCRA class actions on a nationwide basis.

When you contact us to review your credit report dispute, we will thoroughly review it whether other people have been impacted as well.

If that is the case, we will pursue a class action lawsuit to seek compensation for everyone who has suffered damages due to the same act of wrongdoing.

Contact us today to discuss your case with an experienced lawyer.

Qui Tam / False Claims Litigation

Whistleblower claims under the False Claims Act for fraud against the government

The False Claims Act (FCA) allows an individual to file a lawsuit against another individual or business that has committed an act of fraud against the United States government, whether directly or indirectly. Examples of fraud may include Medicare fraud, Medicaid fraud, or military defense fraud. These lawsuits are called “qui tam” lawsuits.

A qui tam lawsuit is often filed by an employee or former employee of a business that has defrauded the government. However, other individuals can also file a qui tam lawsuit if they have evidence of fraud against the government.

The law firm of Caddell & Chapman represents whistleblowers throughout the state of Texas and nationwide. For example, we recovered $55 million paid to the United States Government and a confidential amount for attorneys’ fees in health care fraud litigation against Da Vita, one of the nation’s largest dialysis treatment providers. This was one of the largest recoveries in history in a non-intervened qui tam case. We have in-depth knowledge of the False Claims Act and can guide you through the legal process while protecting your confidentiality. Contact us to discuss your potential claim.

Pursuing a Qui Tam Lawsuit Under the False Claims Act – The Whistleblower’s Role

Do you have information about an individual, company, military defense contractor or corporation that has committed fraud against the government? You may be frightened and unsure of what to do. However, it is important to know that if you choose to come forward with information, you are protected by state and federal whistleblower laws. And you can maintain your confidentiality throughout the legal process. Our firm can help you identify a course of legal action and protect your rights along the way. Whistleblowers may be eligible for compensation for reporting fraud, which can be up to 25 percent of the amount recovered.

Coming Forward With Information

As someone with information about fraud against the government, it can be difficult to know where to turn. You may fear retaliation by the person or party that you are exposing. You may be overwhelmed by the thought of coming forward with such critical information.

You do not have to face the process alone. An experienced whistleblower defense attorney can explain the process and help you determine a course of legal action. You may be entitled to significant compensation for reporting the act of fraud by an individual, business or other party. Additionally, your rights are protected by laws. Your employer cannot retaliate against you for reporting the act of fraud.

Working with an attorney who fully understands whistleblower law and the False Claims Act is important when coming forward with information. This is a very complex and detailed area of the law. We represent whistleblowers in Texas and nationwide. To speak to an attorney confidentially about your potential case, please fill out our online contact form or call 713-751-0400 or toll free at 877-553-3057.

Find out more about these related topics:

Contact an Experienced Attorney for Whistleblower Protection

Whether you are an employee, former employee, or other individual who wishes to pursue a whistleblower claim, you should speak to an experienced attorney who can explain your options and guide you through the legal process. For more information about reporting an act of fraud against the government and to learn what protections are available to you, the whistleblower, please contact our law firm today.

Commercial Litigation

Attorneys Handling Complex Commercial Litigation Nationwide

From our office in Houston, the law firm of Caddell & Chapman handles complex business litigation nationwide.

Since our establishment in 1985, our attorneys have been dedicated to handling significant cases, cases that present challenges that require a great deal of strength to overcome. We have earned a record of success representing clients against big companies, such as Exxon Mobil and Chase Bank. For example, Caddell & Chapman represented Tetco Stores, L.P. and Spot Services, L.P. against Exxon Mobil Oil Corporation in a breach of contract and fraud lawsuit to market fuel in Texas. After a five-week trial in San Antonio, the jury awarded $31.4 million in breach of contract damages to Tetco Stores and $2.2 million in fraud damages to Spot Services.

Regardless of how challenging you believe your case to be, you can be confident that our law firm can handle it.

Overcoming Challenges to Get Results for Our Clients

We represent businesses of all sizes, frequently stepping in to balance the playing field when the opponent is an international company with extensive resources at its disposal. We step in to represent businesses in all types of complex commercial litigation, including:

Our focus is specific: What we do is resolve complex business disputes. We resolve the most difficult cases, using our knowledge to get solutions. For example, Caddell & Chapman handled a major construction defect case involving a new $100 million 31-story condominium tower at South Padre Island in Texas. Representing the owner, Caddell & Chapman successfully handled multi-party claims/issues which will result in implosion of the tower and return of the cleaned-up site free of liens and claims to the owner.

Businesses: Tell Us About Your Dispute

Business litigation can arise in many ways. If you wish to file a lawsuit or a lawsuit has been filed against you, contact us today.

Attorneys: We Can Assist With Complex Commercial Litigation

These disputes can become complex quickly. If you need assistance from a law firm with a history of results taking on big opponents in the most challenging cases, we can help. Contact us today.

Consumer Class Action Lawsuits

From our office in Houston, the law firm of Caddell & Chapman handles consumer class action lawsuits nationwide.

Established in 1985, our law firm is dedicated to handling significant cases, cases presenting challenges that require a great deal of creativity and resources to overcome. Our lawyers have earned a record of success taking on major businesses, such as Ford, TransUnion, Equifax, Experian, Exxon Mobil, Lexis Nexis, Shell, Celanese, DuPont, Firestone, Hyundai, State Farm, Farmers, Hartford, Allstate, Toshiba, American Express, and others.

If you believe you have been wronged by a business in any way, our lawyers are here to assert your rights.

Turning Consumer Protection Claims Into Class Action Lawsuits

When individuals turn to us with a consumer protection claim, we will thoroughly review the issue to determine how many people have been impacted. Frequently, we find that issues that impact one consumer often turn out to be issues that impact many consumers.

We build strong class action lawsuits designed to get compensation for every individual impacted by the wrongdoing of the business. For example, Caddell & Chapman was co-lead counsel in the largest consumer property damage case in history, in which over $1.2 billion (total attorneys’ fees:  $42,230,000; litigation expenses: $536,000) was recovered from Shell and Celanese.  Beginning in the late 1970s, Shell Oil worked with Celanese and DuPont in the development and marketing of a polybutylene plumbing (PB) system.  The pipes were made of polybutylene, which is a resin by-product of a Shell oil-refining process, and the fittings were developed and manufactured by Celanese and DuPont.  The systems were marketed to the residential home market.  The three companies claimed the PB systems would last the normal lifetime of most buildings, but, in fact, the products were likely to degrade or corrode and ultimately fail when exposed to chemicals found in drinking water.

Some of the consumer protection issues that frequently turn into class action lawsuits are:

Using Class Actions To Assist Those Who Cannot Be Heard

Caddell & Chapman also has served the community through its class action practice. On a pro bono basis, Caddell & Chapman represented victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in a national class action lawsuit against the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), alleging that FEMA’s mishandling of its housing assistance programs violates federal laws and regulations. The firm persuaded a federal district court to issue a preliminary injunction against FEMA compelling the agency to provide assistance with hurricane victims’ utilities as well as base rent.

For Some Katrina Evacuees, Another Displacement Looms,” The Washington Post

Consumers: Tell Us About Your Claims

Businesses can wrong consumers in countless ways. If you believe the wrongdoing of a business has cost you money, contact us today.

Attorneys: We Can Assist With Complex Class Actions

If a client has come to you with a consumer protection claim that you have determined is actually a class action issue, we encourage you to turn to our experienced lawyers for assistance. Contact us today.