Did Debt Collection Phone Calls From “Tony Soprano” Lead to Death?

Telemarketing calls are annoying enough, and the persons responsible for inventing Caller ID deserve the Nobel Prize. But how would you feel if you were being hounded by debt collectors who came across on the phone like Tony Soprano or Paulie Walnuts?

A Florida man got behind on his mortgage payments after going on disability for a serious heart condition. Abusive and intimidating collectors from the mortgage company allegedly started calling him up to ten times a day. The man later died of heart failure, and according to CNN his wife is suing the mortgage company for wrongful death damages in civil court. She claims that the stress from the harassing phone calls eventually killed her husband. The woman’s lawyer says the company and other collection agencies that he’s suing in other cases use “Tony Soprano” scare tactics to illegally go after debtors.

The mortgage company denies any responsibility for what happened.  It remains to be seen if the evidence could convince a Tampa jury to hold the mortgage company responsible. The trial is scheduled to start in January.

CNN aired this report about the case: