When you apply for a job, your resume tells one story but your background check can tell another, and not always an accurate one.
You apply for a new job. It seems like the perfect opportunity – competitive salary, full benefits, career growth. You start picturing your first day, planning your commute, and maybe even dreaming about what this new role could mean for your future.
But then the employer contacts you to say you’ve been disqualified based on your HireRight background check. At that moment, everything crashes down. You feel blindsided, embarrassed, and helpless, especially when you know you did nothing wrong.
Unfortunately, this situation is all too common. In many cases, the answer is simple but deeply frustrating: a HireRight background check mistake.
If you’ve been harmed by such an error, you might be able to file a HireRight lawsuit and get justice. Arm yourself with knowledge, and check out our background check practice page for more info.
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What Kinds of Background Checks Does HireRight Do?
Employers rely heavily on screening reports to make quick, confident hiring decisions, and HireRight is one of the biggest names in the business.
HireRight offers a broad range of checks designed to verify your identity, history, and qualifications. But with so much data being collected and processed, the risk of a background check error is always present and those errors can be costly.
HireRight provides a wide range of background checks to employers, including:
- Criminal history searches at the county, state, and federal levels
- Employment verification
- Education and credential verification
- Drug and alcohol testing
- Motor vehicle and driving records (especially for DOT-regulated jobs)
- Credit checks for positions involving financial responsibility
These reports are used in hiring decisions across nearly every industry. From warehouse workers to senior executives, HireRight background checks are part of the pre-employment process for thousands of companies.
But that means even a small mistake can have massive consequences forcing you to file a HireRight lawsuit for damages.
What Companies Use HireRight for Background Checks?
HireRight services a wide range of employers, particularly in industries that require strict compliance and vetting processes. These include:
- Transportation companies (e.g., FedEx, UPS, Swift Transportation)
- Logistics and supply chain organizations
- Healthcare facilities and providers
- Financial institutions
- Fortune 500 companies in retail and tech sectors
- Government contractors and staffing agencies
These companies rely on HireRight to make informed hiring decisions. Unfortunately, when HireRight background check mistakes occur, the results can be devastating for the applicant, and many companies aren’t equipped to verify errors on their own.
Common HireRight Background Check Mistakes
Errors on background reports are more common than most people think. Some of the most frequent HireRight background check mistakes include:
- Reporting expunged or sealed criminal records
- Mixing up individuals with similar names or Social Security numbers
- Listing incorrect employment dates or job titles
- Failing to verify education accurately
- Including criminal records that belong to someone else entirely
- Misreporting driving records or license suspensions
Each of these errors can lead to disqualification from a job or even termination after hire. Many individuals never even find out what went wrong until it’s too late. Not surprisingly, these are the people who end up researching HireRight lawsuits.
Why Do People File HireRight Lawsuits?
When HireRight’s background check errors cost you a job, damage your professional reputation, or delay your employment start date, it’s more than just an administrative error, it may be a violation of your federal rights.
Many individuals pursue a HireRight lawsuit to correct inaccurate or outdated information in their reports, recover wages they lost due to missed opportunities, and hold the company accountable for repeated or even willful mistakes.
HireRight lawsuits are frequently grounded in the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), a federal law that ensures consumers have the right to access, dispute, and correct their background reports in a timely manner.
When HireRight fails to honor its FCRA obligations, pursuing a HireRight lawsuit may become the only way to seek meaningful resolution.
How a HireRight Lawsuit Works
Filing a HireRight lawsuit isn’t just about making noise, it’s about making things right.
When a background check error derails your career or damages your reputation, the legal system gives you a chance to push back and get compensation. But like any legal process, it starts with preparation and proof.
Here’s what you’ll need to build a strong case:
- A copy of your background report – You have the right to request a free copy of your report directly from HireRight.
- Proof of the error(s) – Whether it’s mistaken identity, outdated records, or incorrect employment history, document exactly what’s wrong.
- Evidence of the consequences – This might include emails showing a job offer was rescinded, a termination letter, or a timeline of how long you were unemployed due to the error.
- Documentation showing your attempts to dispute the issue – Under the FCRA, you’re entitled to dispute inaccurate information. Save records of any complaints, correspondence, or lack of response.
- An experienced background check attorney – Legal help is key. An background check attorney, like the lawyers at Consumer Justice Law Firm, understands the nuances of FCRA violations. They can determine the best course of action, draft the necessary filings, communicate with HireRight’s legal team, and file a HireRight lawsuit when the time is right.
Once these steps are in place, your background check attorney will typically file the HireRight lawsuit in federal court.
Know Your Rights Under the FCRA
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is a federal law that governs how companies like HireRight collect and share the data that becomes your background information.
Under this law, you have the right to:
- Be notified if a background check was used to make a decision about you
- Receive a copy of your background check upon request
- Dispute any inaccurate or incomplete information in your background check report
- Have the agency correct errors within 30 days
- Seek damages if the company fails to comply with the law
If HireRight fails to follow these requirements, you could have a valid claim for damages, even if the issue was eventually fixed.
What If You Already Lost a Job Because of a HireRight Report?
Being rejected for a job, or even terminated because of a background check error can feel devastating. If a HireRight background check report costs you employment, the damage may already be done, but you are absolutely not out of options.
You can still file a HireRight lawsuit to force them to fix the errors once and for all, and fight for money to make things right. This can include lost wages and benefits, emotional distress, and punitive damages if the violation was willful.
When you settle or win, HireRight will also have to pay to cover the cost of your legal fees.
You Still Have a Legal Case, Even If You Moved On
It’s important to understand that even if you’ve since found another job or moved forward professionally, that doesn’t cancel out the injustice.
An incorrect background check lawsuit can still be pursued and won despite the passage of time or changes in your employment status.
Courts recognize that the loss of opportunity, dignity, and emotional peace can linger, and legal remedies exist to acknowledge and repair those harms. With the right legal guidance, you can reclaim not just financial compensation but a sense of justice and closure as well.
Should You Settle or Go to Court?
Many HireRight lawsuits are settled out of court. Settlement can result in faster compensation and a resolution without lengthy legal battles. However, in some cases, especially those involving systemic violations, it might be worth going to court to make a larger impact.
A background check attorney can help you weigh the pros and cons of settlement versus trial. If your goal is to recover money and move on, settlement might be best. If you want to expose widespread misconduct, litigation may be the stronger option.
How an Attorney Can Help
HireRight background check mistakes are more than just paperwork errors, they’re life-altering obstacles. Thousands of people file HireRight lawsuits every year for the same reason: they were wrongly flagged, unjustly disqualified, and unfairly hurt.
By taking legal action, you’re not just fixing a report. You’re standing up for your rights and forcing accountability from one of the largest background screening companies in the country.
Whether you work with a trusted background check attorney at Consumer Justice Law Firm or go it alone, don’t let a HireRight mistake define your future.
GET JUSTICE: File a HireRight Lawsuit to Get Fixes and Money
Your livelihood and your name are worth protecting. At Consumer Justice Law Firm, our attorneys are highly experienced fighting for individuals just like you.
We understand how a single background check mistake can cost you a job, damage your reputation, and throw your entire life off course.
Our team knows the law inside and out, including the protections of the Fair Credit Reporting Act and we’re not afraid to take on big corporations like HireRight.
Whether you’ve been denied employment, wrongfully terminated, or humiliated by an error, we’re here to help you get the compensation and correction you deserve.
Let us fight for your future because your rights matter. Contact us today for next steps!
FREE CONSULTATIONS! You pay nothing out of pocket. They pay when we win. No Justice, No Fee.