Washington state has filed a $3.7bn lawsuit against the telecommunications firm Comcast alleging that the company violated the state’s Consumer Protection Act almost 2m times. If the suit is successful, the exact award would be up to a judge to decide, but if Washington gets the amount it is demanding, it would be one of the largest legal payouts in American history. The suit was filed Monday morning in King County superior court by the state attorney general, Bob Ferguson, whose office has been investigating Comcast – the largest broadcasting and cable television company in the world. Topping the litany of malfeasance outlined in the complaint is the allegation that Comcast “grossly misrepresented” its consumer protection plan to its customers. Other customer guarantees were also misleading, the complaint states, and many customers were charged for repairs that should have been free. “This case is a classic example of a big corporation deceiving its customers for financial gain,” Ferguson said in a statement. “I won’t allow Comcast to continue to put profits above customers – and the law.” “Not every Washington consumer can hire an attorney to take on a powerful interest who doesn’t play by the rules,” Ferguson said in a press conference Monday morning. “A lot of times you don’t even know they’re not playing by the rules.” The suit could prove costly to the Pennsylvania-based firm. Washington is seeking $2,000 for each of the alleged 1.8m violations of the CPA, totalling $3.6bn. The suit also demands $73m to pay back Service Protection Plan payments, and an estimated $1m to refund people who were unfairly charged for service calls. In a statement, a Comcast spokesperson said that the company’s service protection plan “has given those Washington consumers who chose to purchase it great value by completely covering over 99% of their repair calls”. The company said that it had “worked with the Attorney General’s office to address every issue they raised”, and said that several improvements had been made based on their input. “Given that we were committed to continue working collaboratively with the Attorney General’s office, we’re surprised and disappointed that they have instead chosen litigation,” the statement continued. “We stand behind our products and services and will vigorously defend ourselves.” Legal payouts in the billions are rare. In 2014, a jury imposed $23.6bn in punitive damages against the tobacco company RJ Reynolds. The suit had been part of a class-action case which had been awarded $145bn by a jury, but the decision was overturned by the Florida supreme court in 2006. The case against BP for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill was also a costly one; a 2014 ruling which found the company to have been “grossly negligent” could cost the company as much as $18bn in fines.
Comcast , the world ’s largest broadcast and cable television company , is facing a $ 3.7bn lawsuit filed by Washington State which alleges that the company breached the Consumer Protection Act on nearly 2 m companies . The suit accuses the company of misrepresenting its consumer - protection scheme and other benefits to customers . If successful , the claim will constitute one of the country ’s largest ever legal payouts .