Consumer Law & Class Actions

Consumer law is a general area of law aimed to protect the public from unfair and predatory business practices. Our office handles a wide range of consumer claims to help protect individuals from unfair trade, unethical ways of operating businesses, and the spread of inaccurate information. 

Further, class actions are a useful mechanism for bringing claims, including consumer law actions, that may otherwise not be viable if brought on an individual basis due to the relatively low value of an individual claim. A class action allows a group of individuals who have all suffered the same or similar injury to bring a lawsuit together as opposed to filing numerous individual lawsuits for the same violation. Class actions typically have at least one class representative who is a named plaintiff in the lawsuit and prosecutes the claim to obtain a recovery on behalf of the entire class. 

Individually or through a class action lawsuit, we may be able to help you obtain a substantial recovery. Some common types of consumer law class actions include:
Biometric Information: Under the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA), any person or business scanning or otherwise obtaining your biometric information (such as fingerprints, face scans, etc.) must first obtain your written authorization, as well as institute a data destruction policy so that your information does not become compromised. Damages range from $1000-$5000 per violation.

Automated Calls to Cell Phones (also known as robocalls): Many autodialed or prerecorded calls to a cell phone are not only aggravating but may also violate the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). If you believe you have received such calls, we may be able to help you recover between $500 and $1,500 per call.

Consumer Law FAQs

We often get questions regarding consumer law and what it entails.
Browse the following FAQ section and feel free to reach out to us if your question was not answered.

Can my employer scan my fingerprint for timekeeping without my consent?

No. Many employers use timeclocks that require employees to scan their fingerprint or handprint to clock in and out of work. However, the Illinois Biometric Privacy Act requires, among other things, that an entity must first obtain an individual’s written consent before collecting, using, and storing an individual’s biometric data. An entity that violates this act can be subject to statutory damages of anywhere between $1,000 to $5,000 for each violation.

Free Evaluation

For more information regarding consumer law and if you believe that you may have been subject to any of the above, contact Caffarelli & Associates for a

Free Evaluation

Questions? We can help!

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    Caffarelli & Associates Ltd.

    224 South Michigan Avenue
    Suite 300
    Chicago, Illinois 60604

    P: (312) 763-6880
    E: info@caffarelli.com