Your Rights Under the FCRA: How to Sue When a Credit Bureau Breaks the Rules

You found a serious error on your credit report. Maybe it’s a loan you never took out, or a delinquency that’s just plain wrong, or even someone else’s account showing up under your name. You did everything right: you filed a dispute with the credit bureau, explained the problem, and waited.

But they didn’t fix it.

If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone, and you may have a legal claim under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).

What Is the FCRA and How Does it Protect Me?

The FCRA is a federal law that regulates how credit reporting agencies like Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion handle your credit information. It also applies to the companies (like banks, lenders, or debt collectors) that supply the data. These companies are called “furnishers” under the FCRA because they provided, or furnish, credit information to the credit bureaus.

Probably the most important consumer protection under the FCRA is the process to investigate and remove inaccurate information. Here, the FCRA requires credit reporting agencies and furnishers to investigate credit report errors after you notify them there’s a problem. These investigations must be reasonably detailed and thorough and include a review of all relevant information.

The FCRA Is on Your Side — If You’ve Taken the Right First Step

The Fair Credit Reporting Act gives you real legal tools, but only after you take a crucial first step: filing a written dispute with the credit bureau.

Once you do that, the law is clear. The credit bureau must:

• Conduct a reasonable investigation into the error,

• Correct or delete inaccurate information if the dispute is valid,

• And respond within 30 days of receiving your dispute.

But here’s the problem: many credit bureaus rely on automated systems that do little more than match dispute codes to canned responses. If they don’t actually investigate. or if they blow you off entirely, that’s not just unfair. It’s illegal.

Depending on how serious their violation is, here’s what you may be entitled to:

• Willful violations: Up to $1,000 in statutory damages, plus any actual damages (like lost credit opportunities, higher interest rates, or emotional distress).

• Negligent violations: You can still recover actual damages — if you can prove the harm you suffered.

Even better? If you win your case, the law requires the credit bureau to pay your attorney fees and costs. This means that most FCRA lawyers will handle your case without any up-front attorney fees.

So if you've disputed the mistake and nothing changed, the law is now in your corner and it's time to fight back.

What to Do Next

If you've already disputed an error on your credit report and the credit bureau still hasn’t fixed it, you may have a valid FCRA claim. That means you could be entitled to financial compensation, correction of the error, and the credit bureau could be forced to pay your attorney fees.

Here's how a FCRA lawyer can help you now:

• Review your documents — your dispute letter, the bureau’s response, and your credit report.

• Evaluate your legal options — whether the bureau broke the law, and if a lawsuit is the right next move.

• Handle the case from start to finish — no up-front costs, no guessing, and no fighting alone.

You did your part. You followed the rules. Now it’s time to make them follow the law.

Contact an experienced FCRA lawyer today to finally fix the damage they’ve caused.

Denied Credit Because of a Credit Report Error? Here’s What to Do.

Finding out your loan or credit application was denied can be frustrating. But it’s even worse when the reason is a mistake on your credit report.

Maybe the report shows a loan you never took out. Maybe it lists a missed payment you know you made. Whatever the error, you have rights—and you don’t have to let the mistake stand.

Step 1: Read the Adverse Action Notice

If your application is denied, or if the lender offers you worse terms than expected, they are required by federal law to send you an adverse action notice. This notice will tell you:

• The name, address, and phone number of the credit reporting agency (Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion) that supplied your credit report;

• The credit score used in the decision and the key factors affecting it;

• Your right to get a free copy of that credit report; and

• How to dispute inaccurate information.

Step 2: Get the Credit Report Used in the Decision

Use the instructions in the notice to request your report directly from the credit reporting agency. You’re entitled to a free copy.

Step 3: Look for the Error

Carefully review the report to find what the lender saw. Common credit reporting mistakes include:

• Accounts that don’t belong to you

• Payments wrongly listed as late or unpaid

• Outdated information that should’ve been removed

• Mixed-up data from someone with a similar name or Social Security number

Step 4: Dispute the Error with the Credit Reporting Agency

To protect your rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), you must send your dispute directly to the credit reporting agency (not just the creditor like Capital One or Wells Fargo).

We strongly recommend writing a dispute letter and sending it by mail, rather than using the online form. Include:

• A clear explanation of what’s wrong

• A copy of your credit report with the error highlighted

• Any documents that support your claim (payment receipts, identity theft reports, etc.)

Step 5: Take Action If the Error Isn’t Fixed

If the credit reporting agency or creditor doesn’t correct the error—or performs a sloppy, automated investigation—you may need to take further steps.

• You can send a second, more detailed dispute

• Or you can talk to a lawyer who handles credit reporting cases

Don’t Let a Credit Report Mistake Cost You

We’ve seen clients denied mortgages, car loans, and even jobs because of false information on their credit reports. If this is happening to you, don’t wait. You have rights—you just have to use them.