Credit Report Errors Can Cost You. And Credit Bureaus May Be Liable

If inaccurate information wasn’t fixed after dispute, you may be entitled to damages under federal law.

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Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), consumers have the right to an accurate credit report. Credit reporting agencies like Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion are legally required to investigate disputes and correct inaccurate information.

When errors remain on your credit report after you’ve disputed them or are repeatedly “verified” without a meaningful investigation, those agencies may be violating federal law.

In many cases, consumers are entitled to compensation, including:

Statutory damages for violations of the FCRA
Actual damages caused by the inaccurate reporting
Punitive damages in cases of willful misconduct
Attorney’s fees and costs paid by the reporting agency

Marcus & Zelman represents consumers nationwide in credit reporting error lawsuits, helping hold credit bureaus accountable when inaccurate information causes real-world harm such as job denials, housing issues, or lost financial opportunities.

Who This Is (and Is Not) For

You may qualify if:

Incorrect account balances, late payments, or charge-offs
Accounts that don’t belong to you
Mixed or merged credit files
Errors that caused denial of:
- Employment
- Housing
- Loans or credit
You disputed the error and it was not corrected

You likely do NOT qualify if:

The debt is accurate
Payments were actually late
You’re looking to “boost” or “fix” your score
You have not yet disputed the error

“How the Process Works”

Step 1: You disputed an error with Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion

Step 2: The error remained or was “verified” without correction

Step 3: We review your reports and dispute history

Step 4: We pursue claims under the FCRA

Step 5: You pay nothing unless we win

⚠️ Important:
Marcus & Zelman does not offer credit repair services.
We only handle cases involving inaccurate credit reporting after a dispute.

We care about protecting our clients

CONSUMER ORIENTED

Our attorneys' skills are creative and zealous

EFFECTIVE LITIGATION

We get paid when you get paid

RESULTS FIRST

We are driven by the shared vision of consumer representation, not fees.

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Frequently Asked Questions

I applied for a job and was denied the job due to a background check with inaccurate information. Does the FCRA help me with this?

Yes! The FCRA applies to all Consumer Reporting Agencies, and background checks for employment or housing are also considered Consumer Reports, the same as a credit report. If there is inaccurate information on your background check like someone else’s criminal history or an eviction that never happened, you may be entitled to damages. Secure a copy of your background report and let us know below what happened.

My bank is reporting wrong information on my credit report, and now my credit score has tanked. What do I do?

The first step is to dispute the inaccurate reporting with the Consumer Reporting Agencies such as Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Disputes made directly to the company reporting the information do NOT count. The content of that dispute letter is important, so contact us at Marcus & Zelman for a free consultation before sending in your dispute letter.

What kind of rights does the law give me if my credit errors aren’t fixed?

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (the FCRA) protects consumers and their credit reports. If a company does not follow the law, they could be liable for statutory damages (between $100-$1,000), actual damages, punitive damages. These companies may also have to pay for your attorneys’ fees and costs. The law provides a powerful tool to keep credit furnishers and credit reporting agencies honest, and to make sure that information reported in your credit report is accurate.

I’ve tried working with a credit repair agency, but they haven’t been able to help me improve my credit score. What can a law firm do different?

A credit repair agency can be a great partner with the expertise to help you navigate the credit disputing process. However, many times these disputes are just rubber stamped as “verified” by the Consumer Reporting Agencies, no matter how valid the dispute. In many cases, the only way to get these companies to comply with the law is with a lawsuit.

Why is someone else’s information on my credit report?

The credit reporting agencies maintain a file on every single person. Because Credit Reporting Agencies generally do not require a full Social Security Number match before associating account information with a consumer’s file, often a consumer’s file will become ‘merged’ or ‘mixed’ with another person’s file, causing another person’s negative credit information to appear on your report. This can be a very difficult mess to unravel, and often will require a lawyer getting involved to be resolved.

I think I’ve been the victim of identity theft. What should I do first?

Notify the credit reporting agencies immediately. They can put a fraud alert and a security freeze on your credit file. If you see anything on your credit report that is a result of identity theft, you will typically need to fill out a Police Report and an Identity Theft Affidavit, which you can obtain here (https://www.identitytheft.gov/). Once you submit that to the credit reporting agencies, they have 4 days to apply a special identity theft block to your credit report. If you are continuing to face errors on your credit report due to identity theft, contact us at Marcus & Zelman for help.

How can I access my credit reports?

You can request your credit report from the three major Credit Reporting Agencies (Equifax, Transunion, and Experian) for FREE from AnnualCreditReport.com (https://www.annualcreditreport.com/index.action). Simply fill out the questions and you’ll be able to download and review each of your credit reports for any errors or inaccuracies.

Client Testimonies

Last year, I broke my elbow at an event where I slipped and fell really hard. I was unable to resume my everyday tasks for months and was in severe pain. At first, I was hesitant to get an attorney. When I finally got the courage to reach out, I knew I could trust the Marcus and Zelman team. They were there for me every step of the way and guided me through this difficult time. From physical therapy, doctors and insurance companies they handled everything seamlessly. I was very impressed by their professionalism, honesty and the result felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders

Becky from New Jersey / Personal Injury

Imagine calling your mortgage broker and seeking a new mortgage to purchase your retirement home and being told you are currently two months behind on your current mortgage and your credit score has plummeted. Knowing this to be a mistake, I called my mortgage company who, in short, refused to correct their mistake. My credit was so impacted that I couldn't borrow money to do the needed repairs to be completed before moving into our new home on the lake. I maxed out ever credit card and depleted our savings to move in. It was humiliating! After contacting Marcus & Zelman, things began to turn around. The tenacity and unwavering effort they put into my case put me at ease. I felt they would make this wrong - right. The attorneys and I spoke often and were available immediately to speak to me whenever I called. The firm remained focused on the objective to make me whole again.

Peter / Credit Reporting Errors

The calls I was receiving were becoming more and more stressful, but thankfully I had Marcus and Zelman taking control of the situation. Their efforts helped give me the peace of mind I needed. They were always very responsive and informed me of what to expect whenever any future occurrence would arise that I needed to know about. My experience with Marcus and Zelman was phenomenal and I couldn’t recommend them more.

David / Marketing Texts & Calls