If you’re wondering whether you can sue HireRight over a background check mistake, you’re not the only one asking. It’s one of the most common questions we hear — and often, the answer is yes. HireRight isn’t new to this kind of trouble, either: in 2012, it paid a $2.6 million penalty to federal regulators for failing to keep its reports accurate, one of the largest penalties of its kind ever handed down under the law that protects you.
If a HireRight mistake cost you a job, a promotion, or your current position, you may have real legal options under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Here’s what to look for, what to do, and how we can help.
Wondering if you can sue HireRight? Reach out for a free consultation — the sooner we talk, the more we can do.
HireRight’s reports tend to go wrong in a few specific, recurring ways. Sometimes a criminal record gets matched to the wrong person, especially when two people share a name. Other times, a report lists a criminal charge but leaves out that it was actually dismissed — so it looks far worse on paper than it really is. Duplicate or outdated entries turn up too, along with employment history that’s just plain wrong: incorrect dates, missing jobs, titles that don’t match what you actually did.
These aren’t rare glitches. Federal regulators have already found that HireRight, in particular, struggled to keep its criminal history reports accurate and up to date — including failing to reflect expunged records. If any of this sounds like what happened to you, here’s what to do next.
You don’t have to figure this out alone. Here’s what the process looks like:
If a HireRight mistake already cost you a job or income, reach out now — the sooner we know, the more we can do to help.
Whether you’re just starting to look into this, or you already tried disputing it yourself and got nowhere, here’s what we bring:
We’ve helped people with the same kinds of problems from other screening companies too, including First Advantage, Sterling, Checkr, and Accurate Background. See our full list of background check companies we regularly deal with.
HireRight is one of the largest background screening companies in the country, trusted by more than 40,000 companies worldwide for employment checks. That scale is exactly why its 2012 run-in with federal regulators matters. The government found that HireRight failed to use reasonable procedures to keep its reports accurate, didn’t give consumers timely access to their own files, and didn’t properly investigate disputes when people flagged errors — the same kinds of problems people still run into with HireRight reports today.
Being large and widely used doesn’t mean every report is right. It just means a lot of people are counting on HireRight to get it right, and sometimes it doesn’t.
A HireRight mistake shouldn’t cost you a job you already earned. At Sherman & Ticchio, we help people across New York and New Jersey fix inaccurate background checks and take legal action when a screening company won’t fix a real mistake.
Reach out for a free consultation, and let us help protect your job and your record. Don’t let a HireRight mistake hold you back — contact Sherman & Ticchio now.
Can I Take Legal Action Against HireRight?
Often, yes — especially if the mistake already cost you a job, and HireRight didn’t follow the law. The fastest way to know where you stand is to talk it through with us directly.
What’s HireRight’s Track Record With Federal Regulators?
Back in 2012, federal regulators went after HireRight for failing to keep its background reports accurate — the case ended in a $2.6 million penalty, one of the largest the FTC had handed out under this law at the time. It’s an old case at this point. Still, it’s the kind of thing worth knowing if you’re wondering whether the error on your report is a one-off or part of something regulators have already caught them doing.
What Does a HireRight Background Check Actually Cover?
It depends on what the employer requests, but HireRight reports commonly include criminal history, employment verification, and identity checks. Strict doesn’t always mean accurate — errors can still show up even in a thorough-looking report.