Consumer Fraud Attorney

North Carolina Consumer Based Law Firm

Crumley & Associates handle a variety of consumer fraud cases against corporations that unfairly and dishonestly treat their trusting customers. A consumer fraud attorney at Crumley & Associates is committed to fighting for your legal rights when companies and corporations mislead or manipulate the public and you suffer as a result.

We have handled a variety of noteworthy consumer fraud cases which include:

UnumProvident, the largest disability insurance underwriter in the United States at the time, was accused of implementing a nationwide scheme to deny or underpay legitimate disability claims when adjusting policyholder's claims for other insurance companies. These allegations were based upon a seven-year investigation and testimonies from former UnumProvident employees and in-house physicians, all of whom had a vested interest in seeing increased profit margins and the continued success of the company. Based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, UnumProvident was responsible for adjusting disability claims for several insurance companies including:

• Metropolitan Life Insurance
• Paul Revere Life Insurance
• Unum Life Insurance
• New England Life Insurance
• John Hancock Insurance
• Equitable Life Insurance
• Colonial Life Insurance
• Provident Life and Accident Insurance
• Provident Life and Casualty Insurance

Former employees admitted that at whatever cost, executives and claim managers wanted their handlers to meet monthly profit goals. This included denying seemingly valid claims or shutting down existing claims saying the policyholders were no longer disabled. In-house physicians were persuaded to change their medical opinions so claim denial would be more justifiable. Employee incentives were also put in place if departments met their targets. If these monthly goals were not met, claim departments were forced to work extra hours to reevaluate claims that looked like they could be denied or terminated.

Crumley & Associates consumer fraud attorneys also handled cases following the New York Attorney General’s investigation into Merrill Lynch which revealed that their stock research analysts manipulated research coverage to produce misleading ratings that were neither objective nor independent. The stocks (mostly tech-related) were given positive ratings in order to attract and keep the investment banking business of those companies. The investigation uncovered documents that showed research analysts privately mocking the stocks with coarse language. This conflict of interest has led to significant loss for countless investors.

Victims of Merrill Lynch’s misleading business practices in these cases were hardworking individuals and couples who invested a considerable portion of their savings on the advice of this financial giant. They may or may not have a close relationship with a specific broker, but they relied on the Merrill Lynch analysis and ratings of stocks’ value. They probably were urged to include a number of technology stocks in their portfolio, and they may not have been consulted about the nature of these stocks. Investments were significant, so losses were typically thousands of dollars.

Crumley & Associates recognizes that some companies and corporations dishonestly and unfairly treat their customers, and when consumer fraud occurs, they need a skilled consumer fraud attorney from Crumley & Associates to help them through the complicated legal process.