The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) provides protections and legal recourse for consumers who are harassed by pre-recorded telemarketing or debt collection calls and junk faxes or texts. Consumers who received automated calls or texts in violation of the TCPA may be entitled to between $500 and $1,500 for each claim.

Despite the prohibitions and the potential penalties, abuses still occur on a regular basis, often by larger companies who ought to have known better. Dish Network is one of the latest to be held accountable in court for using robocall tactics to elicit customers.

Dish Network TCPA Lawsuit

According to a June 2017 report in the National Law Review, a United States District court in Illinois recently ordered the Dish Network Corporation to pay $280 million in fines to the federal government and to four other states for violations of the TCPA and other state and federal rules.

The order stems from a case originally brought against the company in 2009 by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), based on alleged ‘millions and millions’ of illegal calls. The calls were made to numbers listed in do not call lists and employing automated marketing tactics prohibited by the TCPA. The company purportedly settled claims with 46 states for robocalling violations as a result of the suit, before additional litigation was initiated on behalf of the U.S. government and the four remaining states, which include California, North Carolina, Ohio, and Illinois.

Record Judgment For TCPA Violations

The court deemed the $240 million judgment, along with a 20-year rule requiring supervision of all Dish Network marketing activities, to be an adequate punishment while acting as a deterrent to protect consumers against future infractions. To find out whether you might be entitled to damages as a result of TCPA violations, call or contact Keogh Law, LTD online today and speak with one of our experienced Chicago TCPA attorneys.