Jury awards Oregon woman $18.6M over credit report

[dixiegrrrrl]

A win for the victim over credit company.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- A federal jury in Oregon awarded $18.6 million to a woman who spent two years unsuccessfully trying to get Equifax Information Services to fix major mistakes on her credit report.

Julie Miller of Marion County was awarded $18.4 million in punitive damages and $180,000 in compensatory damages, though Friday's award against one of the nation's major credit bureaus is likely to be appealed, The Oregonian reported ( http://is.gd/VYkiIs ).

The jury was told she contacted Equifax eight times between 2009 and 2011 in an effort to correct inaccuracies, including erroneous accounts and collection attempts, as well as a wrong Social Security number and birthday. Her lawsuit alleged the Atlanta-based company failed to correct the mistakes.

"There was damage to her reputation, a breach of her privacy and the lost opportunity to seek credit," said Justin Baxter, a Portland attorney who worked on the case with his father and law partner, Michael Baxter. "She has a brother who is disabled and who can't get credit on his own, and she wasn't able to help him."

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CREDIT_REPORT_MISTAKES_AWARD?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

[Turbineguy]

1. The rulers

of america will appeal.

[elleng]

2. and lose.

[elleng]

3. Very good news.

AWFUL that she had to go through this, but it should stand as a lesson.

[OneGrassRoot]

4. WOW! That gave me goosebumps!

That is VERY good news.



Thank you!