Brenda Thornton v. Equifax, Inc., a Georgia Corporation

ROSS, Circuit Judge.

Brenda Thornton sued a credit reporting agency, Equifax, Inc., under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1681, et seq. (FCRA), for defamation and failure to comply with the Act’s requirements. She also filed a common law count of libel. Appellant Equifax now appeals from the jury verdict awarding Brenda $5,000 compensatory and $250,000 punitive damages. We reverse and remand for a new trial.

At the time of trial, Brenda Thornton was twenty-nine years of age, divorced and the mother of one child. She first became aware of a credit report containing the statement that…