Case Study: $229,500 Verdict for 153 Robocalls (King v. Time Warner Cable)

In 2015, a Manhattan judge awarded Araceli King $229,500 after Time Warner Cable made 153 robocalls to her cell phone - $1,500 per call. This is a real, documented federal court case.

What Happened

Araceli King received persistent robocalls from Time Warner Cable about an account that wasn't even hers - a previous owner of her phone number had been a TWC customer.

She asked them to stop. They didn't.

In March 2014, King filed a lawsuit under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). Here's where it gets remarkable: between filing the lawsuit and trial, Time Warner Cable made 74 MORE robocalls to her phone.

The Judge's Ruling

U.S. District Judge Kevin Castel called TWC's continued calling "particularly egregious violations of the TCPA." The court found:

• TWC used an automatic telephone dialing system (ATDS)
• King never gave consent to be called
• TWC continued calling even after the lawsuit was filed
• The violations were willful, justifying treble damages

The math: 153 calls × $1,500 per willful violation = $229,500

Why This Case Matters

This case demonstrates several key TCPA principles:

• Wrong number cases are valid: You don't need to be the intended recipient. If they called your cell without consent, it's a violation.
• Each call is a separate violation: Volume matters. 153 calls became $229,500.
• Willful violations get trebled: $500 per call becomes $1,500 when they knew or should have known they were violating the law.
• Document everything: King had records of every call, which made her case airtight.

What You Can Learn

1. Save your call logs. Screenshot them regularly - they're evidence.
2. Tell them to stop in writing. Calls after revoked consent are worth more.
3. Don't wait. King filed after persistent calls and won big.
4. Wrong number? Still sue. Their mistake, their liability.

The TCPA Today

Since this case, major TCPA settlements have continued:

• Capital One: $75.5 million (2014)
• Caribbean Cruise Line: $76 million (2016)
• Dish Network: $280 million (2017)

Individual cases typically settle for $1,000-$50,000+ depending on call volume and documentation.

Could This Be You?

If you're receiving unwanted robocalls to your cell phone, you may have a case. The key questions:

• Are they robocalls or prerecorded messages?
• Did you give consent? Have you revoked it?
• How many calls have you received?
• Can you identify who's calling?