Practice Areas

Disabled Vet: Debt Collector Said ‘You Should Have Died’

By |October 17th, 2012|

By: Jeffrey Lapin

Michael Collier, a disabled Army veteran, and his wife, Kim, recently sued Gurstel Chargo, P.A., a Minnesota-based law firm and debt collector, in Arizona for violations of the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act (FDCPA) as well as for other claims based on the law firm’s attempt to collect a debt. The Colliers claim that the law firm is illegally holding their money and one of its legal assistant’s told Michael that he should have died among many other things. In their lawsuit, the Collier’s are claiming damages under the FDCPA, punitive damages along with other items. […]

American Express to Pay Millions in Refunds and Fines

By |October 2nd, 2012|

By: Jeffey B. Lapin

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) along with other federal agencies announced on October 1, 2012, that American Express Co. (AMEX) will pay $112.5 million in refunds and fines. These agencies alleged that three AMEX subsidiaries violated a number of federal laws with regard to credit cards, credit reporting and debt collection. Nearly $85 million of this money will go to approximately 250,000 customers eligible consumers. […]

The CFPB’s First Fourteen Months

By |September 14th, 2012|

By: Jeffrey B. Lapin

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), has now been in existence for fourteen (14) months. It was created as part of the 2010 Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. So far, the CFPB has been praised by consumer advocates and criticized by businesses. […]

Get To Football Games Safely

By |August 31st, 2012|

By: Jeffrey B. Lapin

As we are about to start another Nebraska Husker football season Lapin Law Offices reminds everyone to be safe and cautious. Here are some tips to make sure you stay safe getting to and from Husker football games: […]

2011 Consumer Complaint Survey Report Released

By |August 3rd, 2012|

By: Jeffrey Lapin

The Consumer Federation of America (CFA), with assistance from the North American Consumer Protection Investigators (NACPI), has issued its 2011 Consumer Complaint Survey Report, which, among other things, lists the top 10, actually 12, consumer complaints from 2011. In addition, the Report identifies the fastest growing complaints, worst complaints, and newer types of consumer problems. Finally, it offers suggestions for new consumer protection laws and tips for consumers for dealing with many of these consumer problems. […]

Website Update: Consumer Financial Definitions Added

By |July 19th, 2012|

By: Jeffrey Lapin

Lapin Law Offices has updated its website (lapinlawoffices.com) to include definitions of some commonly used consumer protection and other financial words and phrases. It includes words and phrases involving the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act (FDCPA), the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). […]

Website Updated: Social Security Definitions Added

By |July 12th, 2012|

By: Jeffrey Lapin

Lapin Law Offices has updated its website (lapinlawoffices.com) to include definitions of some commonly used Social Security Administration (SSA) Disability words and phrases. This includes words and phrases involving Social Security Disability (SSDI), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), as well as SSA disability benefits for spouses and children.

These definitions can be viewed on Lapin Law Offices website: Social Security Disability Definitions […]

CFPB Launches Consumer Complaint Database

By |June 19th, 2012|

By: Jeffrey Lapin

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) launched a Consumer Complaint Database that will provide basic information about complaints made against credit card companies. This is the first time this type of data is available to the public without the filing of a Freedom of Information request. The Database is located on the CFPB’s website, Consumer Complaint Database, which is available to view now.
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Protect a Deceased Relative from Identity Theft

By |June 8th, 2012|

By: Jeffrey Lapin

Dealing with the death of a relative is hard enough. Family members do not need the additional stress of having to deal with having the identity of their deceased relative stolen. Remember, family members are not responsible for the debts of their deceased relatives, unless they had specifically agreed to be. In addition, the estate of the deceased is not responsible for these types of fraudulent debts. […]

Computer System Used To Underpay Injury Claims

By |June 5th, 2012|

By: Jeffrey Lapin

A new report issued by the Consumer Federation of America (“CFA”), Low Ball: An Insider’s Look at How Some Insurers Can Manipulate Computerized Systems to Broadly Underpay Injury Claims, details how major car insurance companies are using computers systems, primarily Colossus, to underpay injury claims. One of the authors of the Report, Mark Romano, the CFA’s Director of Insurance Claims Projects, was formerly Allstate’s “Colossus Subject Matter Expert,” the top expert for Allstate’s computerized claims system. Allstate, and other insurers using these types of systems to evaluate claims, use a variety of tactics to lower the amount of money offered to injured persons. This post will discuss Colossus, how it is manipulated to underpay injured people and what regulators can do to ensure fair settlement offers. […]

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Lapin Law Offices does not offer the following services regarding debt: financial planning; money management; debt consolidation; debt negotiation; credit counseling; or bankruptcy representation.