Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy Announces Bank of America Must Face Trial in California Pandemic Unemployment Benefits Litigation
Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy announces today, August 18, 2026, that Judge Gonzalo P. Curiel of the U.S. District Court in San Diego issued a 105-page order denying Bank of America’s motion for summary judgment in this long-running Multi-District Litigation class action. The lawsuit seeks to hold the Bank accountable for violating state and federal laws for more than 100,000 Californians who received unemployment and disability benefits through Bank-issued prepaid debit cards during the COVID pandemic. The Court’s order clears the way for the case to go to trial, including on plaintiffs’ claims for treble (3x) damages for the Bank’s willful violations of federal statutes and punitive damages for its intentional disregard of class members’ rights.
