Inaccurate criminal background reports can derail a job opportunity, a housing application, or a professional license, even when the information is wrong, outdated, or belongs to someone else. These reports are often generated quickly and at scale, which increases the risk of errors, mixed files, and incomplete updates.
Common problems we see include records tied to a different person with a similar name or date of birth, expunged or sealed matters still showing up, dismissed charges reported as convictions, duplicate entries, or cases listed without the final outcome. Sometimes the issue is as basic as an incomplete record, but the consequences are anything but minor.
Federal law, including the Fair Credit Reporting Act, requires background reporting companies to use reasonable procedures to assure maximum possible accuracy, and to conduct a reasonable reinvestigation when you dispute inaccurate information. Employers and landlords who use these reports also have obligations before taking adverse action based on a report.
If you believe an inaccurate background report cost you a job, housing, or another opportunity, Goolsby Law Office, LLC, offers free consultations. We will help you understand your rights, the steps to preserve them, and whether a lawsuit is the right path to hold the reporting company, and in some cases the user of the report, accountable.