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Consumer-Law

Consumer Law Overview

Consumer law is an area of public law that regulates private business as it relates to consumers through federal and state laws. Consumer law issues frequently occur with financial institutions that issue credit accounts. Consumer law issues include:

• Bankruptcy discharge violations
• Lemon laws for defective products
• Identity theft
• Warranties
• Financial and corporate fraud, utilities
• Privacy law
• Health issues caused by toxic substances
• Product safety

Many different types of law intersect with consumer law, including products liability, insurance law, sales, administrative law and food and drug laws. Consumer Protection and the Law

The federal government has enacted many laws and regulations to protect consumers, especially in the areas of consumer credit and debt. These regulations include the

• Consumer Credit Protection Act
• Fair Debt Collection Act
• Fair Credit Reporting Act
• Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act
• Truth in Lending Act
• Fair Credit Billing Act

These acts do much to protect consumers, including: requiring creditors to disclose credit terms to consumers, enabling consumers access to credit reports, regulating debt collection practices and creating identity theft protections and remedies.

Many states have enacted their own consumer protection laws and have a Department of Consumer Affairs or similar agency to protect consumers through regulating the goods and services of certain industries.

Every state also has at least one broad consumer protection statute that falls into the general category of the Unfair And Deceptive Acts or Practices statutes (UDAP). These statutes are very broad and seek to prohibit vague, abusive, deceptive and unfair business practices. The statutes offer consumers a wide range of relief from claims, including punitive damages, class actions and attorney's fees. Types of relief vary by state, but a local attorney can explain relief you may be able to get.

Contacting a Consumer Lawyer

Consumer rights are becoming more important. Issues with credit, debt, repossession, identity theft and bankruptcy may impair your ability to get credit, employment, a mortgage, student loans and many other important assets.

Issues with health, product safety, predatory lending and defective products can cause extreme personal and financial harm. Consumer laws can often be complex and vary in each jurisdiction. Connect with a local attorney through AttorneyFind to get help sorting through your consumer issues today.