While the world eagerly awaits the D.C. Circuit’s forthcoming ruling on the proper interpretation of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), a recent federal court ruling imposing tens of millions of dollars of liability is a reminder of the risks associated with outbound calling activities and of the stakes at play in the ACA International
$5.3M Settlement of TCPA Class Action Against Taxi Cab Companies Preliminarily Approved
The United States District Court for the Western District of Washington preliminarily approved a $5.3 million settlement of a Telephone Consumer Protection Act class action against taxi cab companies Orange Cab Company, Inc. and RideCharge, Inc.
According to the complaint, the defendants worked together to develop an app, known as “Taxi Magic,” for cell …
Ninth Circuit Reverses District Court’s Dismissal of Putative TCPA Class Action
The Ninth Circuit recently reversed a lower court’s dismissal of a Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) putative class action against Adir International, LLC (“Adir”), holding that Plaintiff Ned Flores (“Flores”) sufficiently alleged that Adir used an automatic telephone dialing system (“ATDS”) to send text messages to Flores.
According to the First Amended Complaint, Adir is…
TCPA Defendant Settles Class Claims on Individual Basis Following Counterclaims for Harassment and Racketeering
BrandRep, the defendant in a Telephone Consumer Protection Act putative class action lawsuit pending in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, recently settled putative nationwide class claims on an individual basis, resulting in dismissal of the case. The settlement came on the heels of BrandRep’s assertion of counterclaims that put…
TCPA Class Action Dismissed Based on Lack of Vicarious Liability
The United States District Court for the Southern District of California recently granted summary judgment in favor of defendant United Student Aid Funds, Inc. (“USAF”) in a Telephone Consumer Protection Act class action, holding that the plaintiff had failed to prove that USAF is vicariously liable for the acts of its third party servicers.…
SuperAmerica Convenience Store Agrees to $3.5 Million TCPA Class Action Settlement
The parties in Soular v. Northern Tier Energy, LP et al. recently filed a motion for preliminary approval of a $3.5 million Telephone Consumer Protection Act (“TCPA”) class action in the District of Minnesota. The three named plaintiffs in the case alleged that they received unsolicited marketing text messages from the …
Bebe’s Motion to Decertify TCPA Classes Denied by California Federal Court
On February 10, the United States District Court for the Northern District of California denied defendant Bebe Stores, Inc.’s motion to decertify the plaintiffs’ proposed classes in a Telephone Consumer Protection Act class action.
In Meyer v. Bebe Stores, Inc., the named plaintiffs alleged that they provided their cell phone numbers to Bebe in …
Ninth Circuit Affirms Summary Judgment in Favor of Defendants in TCPA Text Messaging Case
The Ninth Circuit recently affirmed the district court’s grant of summary judgment in favor of the defendants in an action under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act regarding text messages about a gym membership.
In Van Patten v. Vertical Fitness Group, LLC, Plaintiff-Appellant Bradley Van Patten visited a Gold’s Gym franchise to obtain information about…
Blue Shield Avoids Potential TCPA Class Action Liability in Prerecorded Phone Call Case
A judge in California recently dismissed a putative Telephone Consumer Protection Act class action against Blue Shield of California, an insurance provider. In Smith v. Blue Shield of California Life & Health Insurance Co. (C.D. Cal.), the judge found that the telephone call at issue was, as a matter of law, not the type of …
West Virginia Federal Court First Reconsiders, Then Restricts, Vicarious Liability for TCPA Claims in MDL
The United States District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia recently reversed its position on vicarious liability under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, granting summary judgment for defendants UTC Fire and Security Americas Corporation, Inc. and Honeywell International, Inc. in multi-district litigation. In doing so, the court joined the growing list of federal …