Verizon Wireless could find itself paying more than $8 million to settle claims that it violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act and sent out over 10,000 junk faxes to business in Louisiana, Florida and Alabama. While this case (one of about a dozen of its kind against Verizon) has been settled for $6 million, the lawyers who filed the case are petitioning for another $2.3 million to cover what they claim were extensive “administrative fees” required by the unique nature of the case.

The cases against Verizon allege that the company violated federal and local laws that restrict unsolicited faxed advertisements. The company has agreed to pay $625 per fax in addition to sums paid to the plaintiffs and their attorneys.

Commentary: Interestingly enough, the charges and settlement come two years after Verizon unsuccessfully petitioned that the Telephone Consumer Protection Act violated the First Amendment because it regulated commercial speech.