Washington Supreme Court Prohibits Class Action Waivers

Mark McLean

Contributor

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Washington's Supreme Court gave consumers a victory this month by ruling that companies may not disclaim class action liability.

In a significant victory for consumers, the Washington Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the former Cingular Wireless, now AT&T, cannot enforce a waiver in its contract that prohibits customers from pursuing a class action.

The Supreme Court ruled that the waiver language in Cingular's standard contract disclaiming class action liability was unconscionable--meaning far too one-sided to be enforced. This is a big step in protecting the rights of Washington consumers.