A bad background check cost you a job or an apartment? We sue the screeners.
Checkr, HireRight, Sterling, First Advantage, RealPage, SafeRent, SambaSafety — and the employers, landlords, and gig platforms that use them — are bound by the Fair Credit Reporting Act. When they report records that are wrong, expunged, or belong to someone else, federal law gives you the right to sue. We represent consumers nationwide.
National representation · No upfront fees · FCRA fees shift to the defendant
Background check & tenant screening violations
- Criminal records that were expunged, sealed, or dismissed reported as convictions
- Records that belong to someone else with a similar name or SSN
- Old non-convictions or arrests outside the FCRA's 7-year reporting window
- Employers skipping the pre-adverse / adverse action notice
- Tenant screeners reporting dismissed eviction filings as judgments
- Gig-platform deactivations (Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, Instacart) based on bad Checkr data
- Driving-record (MVR) errors costing CDL drivers their jobs
- 'Reinvestigations' that simply re-verify the same wrong record
Screeners, landlords, employers, and gig platforms
Employment screening
Checkr · HireRight · Sterling · First Advantage · GoodHire · Accurate Background · SentryLink · InCheck · General Information Services (GIS)
Tenant screening
TransUnion SmartMove · RealPage · SafeRent / CoreLogic · RentGrow · On-Site · AppFolio Screening
Driving / MVR & gig
SambaSafety · Samba Driver iQ · Checkr (Uber, DoorDash, Lyft, Instacart)
People-search (when used for FCRA purposes)
Spokeo · BeenVerified · TruthFinder · Whitepages Premium
Gig-economy platforms like Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, Instacart, Amazon Flex, Grubhub, and Shipt rely on these screeners and must follow the FCRA's adverse-action rules before deactivating a worker. They frequently don't.
FCRA damages
Actual damages
Lost wages, lost job offers, denied housing, higher rent, emotional distress, and damage to reputation.
Statutory damages
$100–$1,000 per willful violation under 15 U.S.C. § 1681n — no proof of out-of-pocket loss required.
Punitive damages
Available where the screener or user acted recklessly or willfully in violation of the FCRA.
Attorney's fees
The FCRA shifts fees and costs to the defendant. You don't pay us out of pocket.
Three steps from bad report to lawsuit
- 1
Get the report
If a job, apartment, or gig platform took adverse action against you, FCRA § 1681b(b)(3) and § 1681m require they tell you which screener was used. Request the file directly from the screener — it's free under the FCRA.
- 2
Dispute in writing
Send a written dispute identifying every inaccurate item. The screener has 30 days under 15 U.S.C. § 1681i to conduct a reasonable reinvestigation.
- 3
Hire counsel
If the screener verifies bad data, blows the deadline, or the employer/landlord skipped the pre-adverse process, we may be able to file in federal court. The FCRA shifts fees, so we pursue cases at no cost to you.
Common questions
Do I have to be in New Jersey to hire you for a background check case?
No. The Fair Credit Reporting Act is a federal statute. We represent consumers nationwide in FCRA lawsuits against background check and tenant screening companies. Noah Kane, Esq., is barred in New Jersey, New York, and Maryland, as well as federal courts including those in which major background check companies are located and can be sued.
I lost a job offer because of a background check. What can I do?
Under FCRA § 1681b(b)(3), the employer must give you a copy of the report and a 'pre-adverse action' notice with reasonable time to dispute before rescinding the offer. Many employers skip this — and that alone is a violation. Separately, the background-check company can be sued for reporting inaccurate, expunged, or misattributed records.
I was denied an apartment because of a tenant screening report. Do I have a case?
Often, yes. Tenant screeners like RealPage, SafeRent, TransUnion SmartMove, and RentGrow regularly report dismissed evictions, sealed records, and records that belong to someone else. Under FCRA § 1681e(b), they must follow reasonable procedures to ensure maximum possible accuracy.
What about Uber, DoorDash, Lyft, or Instacart deactivations?
Gig platforms run background checks (usually through Checkr) and deactivate drivers based on the report. Both Checkr and the platform can be liable when the report is inaccurate or the adverse-action process wasn't followed.
How much can I recover?
Actual damages (lost wages, lost housing, emotional distress), statutory damages of $100–$1,000 per willful violation under 15 U.S.C. § 1681n, attorney's fees, and — for reckless conduct — punitive damages. The FCRA shifts fees to the defendant.
How long do I have to sue?
Under 15 U.S.C. § 1681p, generally 2 years from when you discover the violation, capped at 5 years from the violation itself.