Can I Get Compensation for Lost Employment Due to a HireRight Error?

Question

I had a job offer in writing. I completed every step, cleared every interview, and passed every check — until HireRight came back with something that stopped the process cold. The report listed a felony conviction under my name that I have never had. Different state. Different court. Different life. The employer rescinded the offer the same week. I disputed it right away through HireRight’s portal and uploaded my driver’s license and a statement explaining the mismatch. Their response came back: “verified.” No explanation. No match criteria. Just verified. I turned down two other offers while this position was in progress. I’m now unemployed, behind on bills, and still seeing this conviction sitting in my HireRight file. Am I entitled to compensation for what this error has cost me?

Consumer Attorneys · Accepted Answer

What you’re describing is a textbook FCRA mixed-file violation. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (15 U.S.C. §§1681e(b) and 1681i), HireRight is legally required to maintain maximum possible accuracy and to conduct a genuine reinvestigation when you dispute information — not simply relay the same unverified record back to you. When a screening company attaches a conviction that belongs to another person and then rubber-stamps it as “verified” after you submit your government-issued ID, that response does not satisfy the law’s reinvestigation standard. If you lost a job due to a HireRight error, you may have a compensable claim for actual damages — including lost wages, lost benefits, and financial harm — as well as emotional distress, and, where the company acted willfully or recklessly, statutory and punitive damages.

Preserve everything: the full HireRight report, the employer’s rescission notice, your dispute submission, and HireRight’s “verified” response.
Document your losses: the rescinded offer letter, any salary documentation, and a record of the other opportunities you declined during the hiring process.
Do not re-dispute through the portal alone: a second identical portal dispute rarely changes an outcome already marked verified. Legal escalation is the next step.

If you have lost a job due to HireRight reporting someone else’s conviction under your name, Consumer Attorneys can review your report, identify the specific FCRA violations, and pursue the corrected report and compensation you deserve — at no out-of-pocket cost to you. Under the FCRA, attorney’s fees are paid by the violating company when we prevail. Reach out today to discuss what happened and what your claim may be worth.