Associated Press - July 1, 2009 4:24 PM ET

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - A new law is giving consumer fraud victims in Iowa more power to sue in court to recover damages.

Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller was joined by other advocates Wednesday to promote the new law.

The law only affects future cases and does not cover complaints filed before Wednesday.

Iowa had been the only state in the country that didn't give consumer fraud victims the ability to recover damages. Previously, the attorney general's office was responsible for enforcing the state's consumer fraud laws.

Individuals could file their own lawsuits using existing fraud definitions but the standard of proof was extremely high and they couldn't recover attorney fees.

Miller says the new law has changed all that.

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