Litigation and Bankruptcy Records
| Litigation | Bankruptcy |
Litigation
- Search court dockets: Resources for Online Court Dockets and Court Webpages, Dockets and Briefs provide links to both fee and free docket sources. While the PACER federal docket system allows for simultaneous searching of many federal courts, free state court dockets on the web must be searched one at a time.
- KnowX.com Civil Lawsuit Finder. For only $2.95, will search multiple county courts in 49 states at once. Contains some jurisdictions not available on Lexis filings database. Retrieving a single record costs $7.95 and multiple records cost $19.95. However, you can get the case names and look for the docket elsewhere.
- LexisNexis -Under: Public Records>Find Filings>Civil & Criminal Court Filings & Regulatory Actions
>Combined State Civil Filings (20 states) - basic case info
>Combined U.S. District Courts>U.S. District Courts, Civil Filings (Docket Summary) - basic case info
Also, look under Public Records>FInd Filings. - LexisNexis Courtlink Litigant Attorney and Judge Strategic Profiles - shows litigation the person or corporation involved in and breaks it down by type of case.
- Westlaw - Public Information, Records & Filings>Litigation & Court Records:
**Combined Adverse Filings (also by state) contains information from UCC filings, Lawsuit records, Liens and Civil Judgment records, Unlawful Detainer records and Bankruptcy filings on businesses and persons.
** Intellectual Property Docket Summaries
**Lawsuit Filings Combined (45 states, 500 counties) - individual state lawsuit databases too
**Dockets - State and Federal Court Combined - about 35 states. Not every county in every state. Federal coverage starts in 2000. (docket databases on certain topics and for states available too)
**Unlawful Detainers-Combined (Eviction filings) - 22 states - coverage varies by municipal/county court
- Jury Verdict databases (trial court level, mostly bodily injury cases) - see the Jury Verdict section of the Library's Torts and Personal Injury Resource Guide. Lexis: Public Records>Find Filings>Jury Verdicts & Experts. Westlaw: Directory> Public Information, Records & Filings>Litigation & Court Records>Jury Verdicts, Settlements & Judgements.
- Case law (opinion) databases (mostly appellate level cases) Lexis, Westlaw and other sources
- SEC Filings - Annual reports (10ks) - Corporations must report major litigation.
Bankruptcies
PACER
The best and most comprehensive way to find out if an individual or company has filed for bankruptcy is to search the Federal Courts’ Pacer database. You will be charged eight cents a page for search results. Most, but not all bankruptcy courts are on Pacer.
It may help to limit your search to the state the person resides or state the business is incorporated. Databases available via your public library, such as Disclosure Corporate Snapshots or Mergent Online can help determine the state of incorporation. The company's webpage may also indicate the state of incorporation.
Free databases:
- Bankruptcydata.com: is a search engine for major Chapter 11 bankruptcies since 1986.
- BSI, Inc.: contains creditor information and documents for BSI clients' bankruptcies. BSI is a claims agent.
- Daily Legal News: searches for northern Ohio bankruptcies since March, 1998.
Lexis and Westlaw
Lexis -Public Records>Find Filings>Bankruptcy Filings (1993-current)
Westlaw - Combined Bankruptcy Filings (also individual state databases) - coverage varies by state
Links Checked, SA, 5/7/2009