04/08/2026
Exciting news to share: The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit just granted our Petition for Panel Rehearing in Bachiri v. Medicredit—and vacated the panel's original opinion.
How rare is this? Federal appellate courts grant panel rehearing in less than 1% of cases. In recent years, the Eleventh Circuit has granted rehearing in approximately 0.5-1% of petitions filed. Out of thousands of appeals decided annually, only a handful get this result.
What happened? Our client received multiple collection letters demanding payment for a medical debt he didn't owe. After the district court dismissed his case for lack of standing, we appealed. The panel initially ruled against us, but we filed a rehearing petition arguing the decision conflated two distinct constitutional requirements and threatened to create a massive loophole in federal consumer protection law.
The result? The panel agreed something needed reconsideration. They granted rehearing, vacated their original opinion (it no longer exists as precedent), and scheduled oral argument.
Why it matters: If debt collectors can harass consumers with false demands and face no federal court accountability—as long as they don't report to credit bureaus—the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act becomes unenforceable for millions of Americans. That's not what Congress intended.
This case presents fundamental questions about Article III standing, statutory injury, and whether federal courts remain open to consumers facing debt collection abuse.
Oral argument coming soon. Stay tuned.
