Consumer Protection Law Commons^™

Junk Justice: A Statistical Analysis Of 4,400 Lawsuits Filed By Debt Buyers, Peter A. Holland

Faculty Scholarship

Debt buyers have flooded courts nationwide with collection lawsuits against consumers. This article reports the findings from the broadest in-depth study of debt buyer litigation outcomes yet undertaken. The study demonstrates that in debt buyer cases, (1) the vast majority of consumers lose the vast majority of cases by default the vast majority of the time; (2) consumers had no lawyer in ninety-eight percent of the cases; and (3) those who filed a notice that they intended to defend themselves without an attorney fared poorly, both in court and in out of court settlements.

This study challenges the notion that …

Protecting Health Privacy In An Era Of Big Data Processing And Cloud Computing, Frank A. Pasquale, Tara Adams Ragone

Faculty Scholarship

This Article examines how new technologies generate privacy challenges for both healthcare providers and patients, and how American health privacy laws may be interpreted or amended to address these challenges. Given the current implementation of Meaningful Use rules for health information technology and the Omnibus HIPAA Rule in health care generally, the stage is now set for a distinctive law of “health information” to emerge. HIPAA has come of age of late, with more aggressive enforcement efforts targeting wayward healthcare providers and entities. Nevertheless, more needs to be done to assure that health privacy and all the values it is …

Buzzkill: Use Of Product Liability Doctrines In Litigation Against Energy Drink Manufacturers, Jeremy Kogan

Loyola Consumer Law Review

No abstract provided.

Dietary Supplement Labeling: Cognitive Biases, Market Manipulation & Consumer Choice, Michael Mccann

Law Faculty Scholarship

There exists increasing concern that the Dietary Supplements Health and Education Act (DSHEA) has proven ineffective. Much of the concern regards the disparity in legislative treatment between dietary supplements, foods, and pharmaceutical drugs. Namely, while pharmaceutical drugs must undergo years of costly pre-market testing, most supplements, like foods, can immediately enter the market, and only after repeated instances of adverse reactions can the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) remove them. Such a framework appears to belie both consumer expectations and marketing strategies, as supplements tend to be most perceived for their apparent medicinal qualities. This philosophy of waiting for a …

Stuck Between A Rock And A Hard Place: Are Public Accounting Firms Subject To Diverging Standards Of Conduct Between Federal Courts And The Pcaob In Securities Fraud Claims?, Pierre Ciric

Journal of Business & Technology Law

No abstract provided.

Now You See It, Now You Don’T . . . Or Do You?: Snapchat’S Deceptive Promotion Of Vanishing Messages Violates Federal Trade Commission Regulations, 30 J. Marshall J. Info. Tech. & Privacy L. 827 (2014), Danielle Young

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

This Comment will explore the recently popular application Snapchat, and discuss the ways in which the app's privacy policy has violated FTC regulations, responding to a recent complaint filed by The Electronic Privacy Center. Particularly, this Comment will focus on Snapchat's deceptive promotion of "disappearing" photographs and videos. Section II will illustrate the basic structure of Snapchat, detailing various illustrations of its use. Section II will also examine the regulations set forth by the FTC that Snapchat is required to follow. Section III will discuss possible methods that the average user can do in order to bypass the very thing …

Canada’S Anti-Spam Legislation: A Constitutional Analysis, 31 J. Marshall J. Info. Tech. & Privacy L. 1 (2014), Emir Crowne, Stephanie Provato

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

On December 15th, 2010, the Government of Canada agreed to Bill C-28, the Fighting Internet and Wireless Spam Act, with the intent to “deter the most damaging and deceptive forms of spam… from occurring in Canada and to help to drive out spammers.” Canada‟s Anti- Spam Legislation (“CASL”) was born. Although CASL has only been in force since July 1st, 2014, we argue that the Act may not survive constitutional scrutiny as it unduly restricts freedom of speech.

California’S Eavesdropping Law Endangers Victims Of Domestic Violence, 31 J. Marshall J. Info. Tech. & Privacy L. 57 (2014), John E.B. Myers

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

No abstract provided.

The Right To Be Forgotten: Forced Amnesia In A Technological Age, 31 J. Marshall J. Info. Tech. & Privacy L. 133 (2014), Robert Bolton

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

In the modern era, the connection between technology and one’s personal life has increased the number of moments recorded for posterity. While in many circumstances this is an ideal opportunity for fond recollection, it has the downside of displaying for others our less flattering moments. Because the Internet has such a wide scope, once something has entered its domain, it is virtually impossible to permanently remove. With a public increasingly perceiving this winnowing of privacy as a negative tendency, legislators both at home and abroad have made proposals that attempt to place restrictions on what content social media is allowed …

Facebook Messenger: Eroding User Privacy In Order To Collect, Analyze, And Sell Your Personal Information, 31 J. Marshall J. Info. Tech. & Privacy L. 393 (2014), Erica Jaeger

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

This comment will examine Facebook‘s new standalone Facebook Messenger app, and review how the Privacy Policy, Data Use Policy, and the list of permissions violate Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act. The comment will focus on Facebook Messenger‘s deceptive methods of accessing users‘ personal information and how Facebook uses that personal information. Section II will explain social networking sites and the configuration of Facebook, Facebook Messenger, and Facebook‘ s evolving policies. Section II will also discuss the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Trade Commission Act that was created to protect consumers against unfair, deceptive, or fraudulent practices.15 …

Situational Duress And The Aberrance Of Electronic Contracts, Nancy S. Kim

Chicago-Kent Law Review

This article explains how the aberrant nature of electronic contracts has unique implications, which contract law should recognize. Companies, taking advantage of these unique implications, may use electronic contracts in an unfair and coercive manner, which is why this article proposes expanding the definition of duress to include “situational duress.” Situational duress would not encompass all electronic contracting scenarios, but would be limited to situations where (1) a drafting company uses an electronic contract to block consumer access to a product or service; (2) the consumer has a “vested interest” in that product or service; and (3) the consumer accepts …

Does State National Bank Of Big Spring V. Geithner Stand A Fighting Chance?, Devon J. Steinmeyer

Chicago-Kent Law Review

Two years after the start of the 2008 financial crisis and during one of the worst economic recessions since the Great Depression, Congress passed a law designed to insure a financial crisis of the same magnitude would not occur again, and if it did, it would not have the same wide-reaching effects the 2008 crisis had. The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act sought to, among other things, end “too big to fail,” consolidate the consumer protection agencies, and provide for the orderly liquidation of defaulting systematically important companies. State National Bank of Big Spring v. Geithner, a …

"Dodd-Frank 2.0: Creating Interactive Home-Loan Disclosures To Enable Shrewd Consumer Decision-Making", Debra Pogrund Stark, Jessica M. Choplin, Mark Leboeuf, Andrew Pizor

Loyola Consumer Law Review

No abstract provided.

Junk Justice: A Statistical Analysis Of 4,400 Lawsuits Filed By Debt Buyers, Peter A. Holland

Loyola Consumer Law Review

No abstract provided.

Pliva, Inc. V. Mensing Aftermath: Informed Consent Lawsuits A Potential Solution For Some Generic Drug Consumers Injuried By Inadequate Warning Labeling, Deena K. Herndon-Remy

Loyola Consumer Law Review

No abstract provided.

Production Liability After Unintended Acceleration: How Automotive Litigation Has Evolved, Aaron Ezroj

Loyola Consumer Law Review

No abstract provided.

Office Of Servicemember Affairs Showing Results Early On, Joseph Axelrod

Loyola Consumer Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Changing Face Of Health Reimbursement Arrangements: Affordable Care Act Implications For Hras, Richard Ryan Bennett

Loyola Consumer Law Review

No abstract provided.

Consumer Protection Initiatives Across The Globe, Shirley Chen

Loyola Consumer Law Review

No abstract provided.

Class Actions A Thing Of The Past … Or Are They? A Look At The Circuit Courts' Application Of Comcast V. Behrend, 48 J. Marshall L. Rev. 335 (2014), Christine Frymire

UIC Law Review

This Comment addresses recent developments in the law of class action waivers and certification. Specifically, it looks at three cases—Comcast, Concepcion, and Wal-Mart—in which the Supreme Court limited class action litigation and class arbitration. This Comment also addresses how the circuit courts are hesitant to follow the Supreme Court’s precedent.

Females On The Fringe: Considering Gender In Payday Lending Policy, Amy J. Schmitz

Chicago-Kent Law Review

Payday lending may provide a much-needed safety net for some consumers in need of quick cash for emergencies. However, data suggest that most payday loan borrowers become repeat users caught in a cycle of high-cost debt. Furthermore, empirical evidence indicates consistent overrepresentation of women, including many single mothers, among payday loan borrowers. This takes a toll not only on these women and their families, but also on society as a whole. Indeed, context matters in payday lending debates. It is thus time to think creatively and consider contextualized programs that aim to increase women’s and all consumers’ safe borrowing options, …

Interest Rate Caps, State Legislation, And Public Opinion: Does The Law Reflect The Public's Desires?, Timothy E. Goldsmith, Nathalie Martin

Chicago-Kent Law Review

In scholarly circles, debates about the benefits and burdens of high-costs lending are prevalent, as are debates about whether to cap interest on certain kinds of consumer loan. Despite this scholarly interest, few scholars actually know what the general public thinks or knows about interest rates on common consumer credit products. This article tries to close this gap through an empirical study of consumer attitudes about interest rates in the state of New Mexico, a state in which high-cost loans such as payday loans and title loans are ubiquitous. Our data show that the general public overwhelmingly supports interest rate …

Legal Uncertainty And Aberrant Contracts: The Choice Of Law Clause, William J. Woodward Jr.

Chicago-Kent Law Review

Legal uncertainty about the applicability of local consumer protection can destroy a consumer’s claim or defense within the consumer arbitration environment. What is worse, because the consumer arbitration system cannot accommodate either legal complexity or legal uncertainty, the tendency will be to resolve cases in the way the consumer’s form contract dictates, that is, in favor of the drafter. To demonstrate this effect and advocate statutory change, this article focuses on fee-shifting statutes in California and several other states. These statutes convert very common one-way fee-shifting terms (consumer pays business’s attorneys fees if business wins but not the other way …

Some Economic Insights Into Application Of Payments Doctrine: Walker-Thomas Revisited, James W. Bowers

Chicago-Kent Law Review

Contractual relations frequently involve multiple transactions, which might give rise either to a single aggregate debt, or else to multiple differing obligations. This conflict creates the application of payments problem. Unsurprisingly, the common law developed long-standing rules for the application of partial payments to multiple, but remedially distinguishable debts. The subject is made timely again by the recent enactments of the 1999 revision of Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code. Article 9 instructs courts how to solve the application of payments problem when some partial payments might satisfy “purchase money” security interests. The enactments repealed the common law application …

Are You Free To Contract Away Your Right To Bring A Negligence Claim?, Scott J. Burnham

Chicago-Kent Law Review

This article explores the enforceability of the exculpatory clause—a contract term in which one party agrees to give up the right to bring a negligence claim against the other party. A spectrum of views on whether a contract containing such a clause is aberrant or not is presented and analyzed, followed by the author’s view of the rubric by which the enforceability of the clause should be measured. The article concludes by deconstructing one contract in which the clause was found.

Missouri Oil And Gas Update, Nadia B. Ahmad

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Crimes And Medical Care On Board Cruise Ships: Do The Statistics Fit The Crimes?, Leticia M. Diaz, Barry H. Dubner, Nicole Mckee

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Empowering The Consumer: A Discussion On Minnesota's Dual Agency Statute And A Proposed Solution That Puts The Consumer First, Micheal Fleming

Student Scholarship

Many Americans across this county strive to achieve the dream of home ownership. The obstacles that stand in the way of achieving that dream can be staggering and unique to the persons pursuing home ownership. To a certain extent, it is expected that there be some proverbial hoops of fire to jump through before finally turning that key to a new home. What the consumer does not expect is to find a statutory scheme that creates unnecessary obstacles, such as a broker with a divided loyalty and information barriers, at the expense of the public. This statutory scheme is enshrined …

Third Party Funding Of Personal Injury Tort Claims: Keep The Baby And Change The Bathwater, Terrence Cain

Chicago-Kent Law Review

In the early 1990s, a period of high-risk lending at high interest rates, a new entrant emerged in civil litigation: the Litigation Finance Company (“LFC”). LFCs advance money to plaintiffs involved in contingency fee litigation. The money is provided on a non-recourse basis, meaning the plaintiff repays the LFC only if she obtains money from the lawsuit through a settlement, judgment, or verdict. If the plaintiff recovers nothing, she will not owe the LFC anything. When she does repay the LFC, however, she could end up paying as much as 280% of the amount advanced by the LFC. As one …

An Economic Perspective On Subprime Lending, Michael H. Anderson

Chicago-Kent Law Review

This article aims to provide a concise economic overview of several interesting subprime financing mechanisms, which are becoming increasingly common on the U.S. financial landscape. In particular, rent-to-own, payday lending, pawn broking, and (vehicle) title loans are considered. Generally speaking, a common thread with these loans is their relatively small size and short duration as well as the absence of a credit check or any of the traditional processes for determining credit-worthiness. Due to the ready availability of these loans, they appeal to low-income consumers, including the “working poor,” and to those who have suffered financial setbacks. Because the natural …