Like many states’ consumer protection laws, New Jersey’s well-intentioned Consumer Fraud Act (CFA) traces its origins to the 1960s. But since then, the CFA has been so distorted and contorted by legislative amendments and judicial interpretations that it is now just as likely to be used to boost trial lawyers’ bank accounts as it is to compensate truly defrauded consumers.
With ginned up lawsuits alleging that “foot-long” sandwiches are too short and football tickets are too expensive, the costs such suits impose on businesses continue to grow. And those costs are ultimately paid for by consumers in the form of higher prices for goods and services.
