equifax.jpg
Equifax had asked a federal judge to reduce a jury's award from $18.6 million to $180,000. The judge reduced the award today, but only to $1.6 million.
(AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
A federal judge today reduced the $18.6 million a jury had awarded an Oregon woman who spent years battling with Equifax down to $1.62 million.
Atlanta-based Equifax had appealed the jury's bountiful award in December, asking the judge to vastly reduce the punitive damages so they would match the $180,000 the plaintiff had received in compensatory damages.
By the numbers
108
Complaints to the Oregon Department of Justice against Equifax since 2008.
113
Complaints against Experian
70
Complaints against TransUnion.
Have a problem?
of their credit report each year from each of the top three agencies.
Several agencies accept complaints about credit reports, including the attorneys general in
(877-877-9392) and
(800-551-4636).
Or the
at 855-411-2372.
-- Laura Gunderson
The original amount, which totaled $18.6 million with punitive and compensatory damages combined, was handed down in l
in a case against one of the nation's major credit bureaus. U.S. District Court Judge Anna J. Brown’s order today wasn’t surprising as courts have generally been moving toward punitive damages within a single-digit ratio of what was awarded in compensatory damages.
“We were expecting a reduction but we are disappointed by the result,” said
who represented plaintiff Julie Miller. He added it’s “unclear at this point” what the firm’s next move will be.
Still, Judge Brown’s order pointed out that her reduction still represented “the highest single-digit ratio accepted within constitutional limits” at 9-to-1.
“The court concludes Equifax engaged in reprehensible conduct that caused real harm to Miller,” Judge Brown wrote. “Equifax should be punished financially for that wrongful conduct; and the amount of the punitive-damages award, although within constitutional limits, nevertheless, should be enough to deter Equifax and others similarly situated from repeating this type of conduct in the future.”
In her lawsuit, Miller had shared how she had attempted to contact 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. Yet over and over, the lawsuit had alleged, the the credit reporting agency failed to correct its mistakes.
The company’s lack of action not only hurt Miller’s credit report, her lawyers had asserted, but also had more personal and emotional effects. Miller’s brother is disabled and couldn’t get credit on his own. Miller wanted to help him, her lawyers had said, but couldn't because of the damage done by Equifax's mistakes and its lack of response to her complaints.
-- Laura Gunderson