Depending on the severity of the data breach, some Americans may be eligible to receive up to $5,000 in cash.
The Columbus Regional Health System (CRHS) has reached a settlement of $1.17 million to resolve a class action lawsuit that was filed in response to a large cyberattack that occurred between May 19 and May 21, 2023, according to the United States Journal of Commerce.
In that particular instance, hackers were able to gain access to sensitive patient information, which included their Social Security numbers and information regarding their health insurance.
“The Data Incident was determined to have compromised private and personally identifiable information stored in CRHS’s files, including names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, and information related to medical and health insurance history,” according to the settlement’s website .
“Approximately 132,800 people were affected as a result of this data incident. CRHS disputes the plaintiffs’ claims and denies any wrongdoing,” the text continues.
The plaintiffs contend that the health system’s cybersecurity safeguards were not sufficiently robust to keep their data safe.
In terms of payments, the contract specifies that:
For personal expense losses resulting from the data incident, affected individuals are eligible for up to $5,000 in compensation per person. These losses include unreimbursed losses related to fraud or identity theft; professional fees, such as those of attorneys, accountants, and credit repair services; costs related to freezing or unfreezing credit with any credit reporting agency; costs related to credit monitoring during or after the data incident until the claims deadline; and other expenses, such as notary fees, fax, postage, photocopies, mileage, and long-distance calls.
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Cash payment: You can also ask the Settlement Fund for a pro rata cash payment. It is projected that each claimant will get $50 in pro rata cash settlement. Depending on how many claims are accepted, this sum could go up or down.
If you were impacted, how do you go about getting paid?
To benefit from this settlement, impacted parties who wish to be paid must file a legitimate Claim Form. By April 2, these forms must be turned in online or by mail.
Additionally, it was said that the case’s final approval hearing is set for April 9, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. ET.
