In cases of a lawsuit, who really wins in the end? Is it the carrier, who disgruntled customers sued and are required to pay millions of dollars? Or is it the complainants, who win in their fight against the carriers but also win with some remuneration in the end? It’s actually neither– because in the end, it’s the lawyers that win for representing customers.
As reported by PhoneArena, the lawyers that represented the victims of the 2021 T-Mobile data breach are being challenged in a US appeals court. This is because T-Mobile agreed to settle the lawsuit with a $350 million fine. The settlement was intended to pay for the claims of the class members and the lawyers who represented them.
But as it turned out, the class members were only entitled to get $25 each (or $100 for California residents). But there were also some who were entitled to $25,000 for the fees they paid out of their own pockets.
Meanwhile, the lawyers who represented them in the lawsuit were able to seek fees of up to 30%. The report shared that the lawyers asked for $78 million in legal fees. But some attorneys are challenging this.
As shared by Attorney Robert Clore, one of the attorneys:
“This is exactly the kind of case that causes the public to scoff at class actions. My client gets 25 bucks and these attorneys are walking away with $7,000 to $10,000 per hour.”
A Kansas City, Missouri judge granted 22.5% to class lawyers, despite the objections received.
Source: PhoneArena