Consumer Class Actions
The average consumer in the United States doesn’t often think about what goes into making sure that the products and services they use are accurately advertised and safe to use. They don’t question the fees they’re charged by financial institutions, for example, or question the accuracy of the ingredient label on a product.
Americans put faith in the companies that provide us with the products and services we use every day, which is why it’s crucial to hold those companies accountable when they violate consumer protection laws, release products that are dangerous or defective, engage in unfair or deceptive practices, and otherwise violate our rights and betray our trust.
There are a number of state and federal laws in place to protect consumers from unscrupulous companies and financial institutions that engage in deceptive and unfair trade practices, predatory lending practices, and harassing debt collection tactics. At Glick Law Group, we represent clients in consumer class actions and environmental protection lawsuits designed to hold those companies that engage in illegal practices accountable. If you think you may have a consumer class action claim, contact us for a free consultation with a California consumer and environmental law attorney.
Environmental Enforcement Actions
One of the state laws enacted to protect California residents is Proposition 65 or the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act (Prop 65). Prop 65 requires the State of California to publish a list of chemicals known to cause serious health problems. The list must be updated at least once a year. It currently includes more than 800 chemicals known to the state to cause cancer or reproductive harm.
Prop 65 also requires businesses to include a Prop 65 warning if their products include any of the chemicals on the Prop 65 list, unless the possible exposure to the chemicals is small enough not to pose a significant risk of cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm. The law also prohibits companies from releasing significant amounts of any of the listed chemicals into the drinking water supply.
Although Prop 65 is enforced by the California Attorney General’s Office, district attorneys and city attorneys in cities with populations of more than 750,000, individuals can file Prop 65 lawsuits against companies that violate the law. Companies that fail to provide a required prop 65 warning may be subject to statutory penalties up to $2,500 per violation per day.
For the past six years, Glick Law Group has proudly held companies accountable when selling potentially dangerous and toxic products to California consumers. The firm’s work has resulted in major reformulation efforts in which the manufacturers agree to reformulate their product to reduce or remove the offending chemicals altogether. In other cases, the company will agree to place a compliant warning on the packaging that advises would-be customers of the potential carcinogenic or other harmful effects of exposure to the product.
Experienced California Consumer and Environmental Law Attorney
If you think you may have been impacted by a company or financial institution’s predatory lending practices, Prop 65 violation, harassing debt collection tactics, or other violation of state or federal consumer or environmental laws, contact Glick Law Group for a free consultation with one of our consumer and environmental law attorneys.