Judge Robert E. Payne of the Eastern District of Virginia approved a nationwide class action settlement for over 460,000 victims of inaccurate background checks by Acxiom Corporation. Acxiom violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act by not reporting consumer information accurately, failing to provide consumers with all the information in their data files, and selling reports without having a FCRA purpose for doing so. As a result, many people were denied employment and suffered serious damages.
Caddell & Chapman served as co-lead counsel, representing Mr. William Wiles, one of the lead plaintiffs, and played a significant role in discovery, settlement negotiations, and defeating Motion to Transfer Venue.
After a series of extensive arm’s-length negotiations before a nationally known mediator and a thorough exploration of the parties’ claims and defenses, an agreement was reached totaling $20.8 million (which represents the gross amount paid to class members before deducting attorneys’ fees in the amount of $6,015,618). Each class member is entitled to a cash recovery as a result, regardless of whether they were aware of that Acxiom’s conduct potentially violated the FCRA or whether they suffered actual harm. And those that can attest that they did suffer actual harm stand to receive substantial payments, up to $5,000.
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