Penalty Amount
$30,000
Consumers Affected
44
Colorado settled with Wakefield & Associates after finding it sought default judgments on medical debt without meeting legal protections, including providing evidence of the debt. The settlement requires Wakefield to vacate judgments against 44 accounts, meet notice and affidavit requirements before seeking new judgments, and pay $30,000 to the state.
Wakefield must vacate default judgments entered against the 44 accounts and may not seek new judgments against those consumers until it provides legally compliant notices and affidavits. It must pay $30,000 to the state and follow the Colorado Fair Debt Collection Practices Act going forward.
Review debt collection vendor and servicing agreements, as well as agreements with medical providers that authorize or support collections. Require vendors to verify and retain evidence of each debt, provide legally compliant notices and affidavits before pursuing litigation or default judgments, and obtain approval and documentation before filing. Add representations, audit and record-access rights, consumer complaint escalation, corrective-action obligations, and indemnity for violations of applicable debt collection laws; review customer-facing collection notices and procedures for consistency with those obligations.
Entity
Wakefield & Associates, LLC
Industry
OtherOfficial Press Release
https://coag.gov/press-releases/attorney-general-phil-weiser-announces-settlement-with-a-colorado-company-for-unfair-medical-debt-collection-practices/
Wakefield FAO COAG Revision 8 12 26 WA signed68995862
https://coag.gov/app/uploads/2026/09/Wakefield-FAO-COAG-Revision-8-12-26-WA-signed68995862.pdf
Colorado Attorney General Enforcement Page
https://coag.gov/
"Wakefield & Associates, LLC"
"pay $30,000 to the state"
"SB23-093"
"the Colorado Fair Debt Collection Practices Act"
"Wakefield improperly filed for default judgment on medical debt against 44 Colorado accounts."
"Wakefield will vacate any default judgments entered against these accounts and cannot move to file new judgments until notices and affidavits compliant with the law are provided to those consumers."
Wakefield & Associates, LLC (Business Associate, TN) reported a HIPAA breach affecting 31,751 individuals. Breach type: Hacking/IT Incident. Location of breached information: Network Server.
Colorado joined a coalition of states and local governments in suing the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration over its rule weakening fuel economy standards for new passenger cars and light trucks. The coalition alleges the rule violates federal law; the press release does not report a penalty or a court ruling.
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser joined a multistate and local coalition challenging the EPA’s repeal of greenhouse gas limits for many coal- and gas-fired power plants. The coalition seeks to have the repeal struck down and the protections restored, and separately notified the EPA of its intent to sue over regulation of emissions from existing gas plants; no penalty or final court remedy is reported.
$469.0M
Colorado joined a 43-state-and-territory settlement resolving allegations that Sandoz and Fougera participated in a long-running conspiracy to inflate generic drug prices, reduce competition, and restrain trade. The companies agreed to pay approximately $469 million and implement reforms; the states are seeking court approval.
$35.0M
Colorado, the FTC, and a coalition of state attorneys general reached a settlement with Corteva over allegations that its post-patent loyalty program restricted distributors from selling competing generic pesticides. Corteva must end the challenged conduct and pay the states $35 million for fees and costs; the agreement is in effect for 10 years.
$2.3M
Colorado and a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general reached a $2,287,455 settlement with Laboratory Corporation of America over the 2019 data breach at its debt collector, American Medical Collection Agency. The settlement requires stronger vendor risk management and information security practices, with particular requirements for medical debt collectors.