stack of dollars spread out[/caption]
THOUSANDS of Americans can get their hands on up to $5000 as three companies agree to settlements over serious data breaches.
Customers of a Texas-based fashion brand could score up to $2500 of the settlement pot for for documented losses related to the data breach, including bank fees, communication charges and credit expenses.
Affected individuals could receive up to $5000 in compensation[/caption]
All customers – affected or not by the data breach – are also eligible to receive two years of free credit monitoring throughout the settlement.
In the class action lawsuit brought against Neiman Marcus, a luxury Texas-based fashion brand owned by Saks Global, documents claim members’ data was breached in May 2024.
According to the lawsuit, the data breach in May 2024 meant some customers allegedly suffered identity theft, fraud and other damages.
The lawsuit claimed the company could have avoided the data breach with reasonable cyber security measures.
The company has refused to admit wrongdoing, however, has agreed to pay a $3.5 million class action settlement to put the allegations to bed.
The settlement payments can be claimed by customers who had their personal information compromised during the data breach in May 2024.
Affected individuals must be able to show proof of purchase from the brand – including receipts, invoices, account statements, phone bills, correspondence or other documentation of breach-related losses.
Members have until October 8 to submit a claim.
The second company agreeing to settle over a serious data breach could see customers and employees get a $5000 pay out.
All customers and employees who received a data breach notification from Advanced Auto Parts are eligible to submit for a payment that could reach $5000.
In the class action lawsuit brought against Advance Stores Company Inc., an automotive parts retailer in the US, documents claim employees’ and customers’ data was breached in May last year.
According to the lawsuit, the data breach meant an estimated 2.3 million customers and employees allegedly had their private information compromised.
The lawsuit claimed the company failed to implement reasonable cyber security measures to protect employee and job applicant information.
The company has refused to admit wrongdoing, however, has agreed to pay an “undisclosed sum” to resolve the class action.
Affected people must be able to show proof of the data breach notification, sent out by the company following the incident.
Class members who live in California can also receive a cash payment for up to $100 for claims under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA).
What’s a class-action settlement?
Class action lawsuits offer groups of people, or ‘classes,’ a way to band together in court.
These suits are often brought by one or a few people who allege a company or other entity has wronged a large group of people.
When a suit becomes a class action, it extends to all “class members,” or people who may have similar complaints to those who filed the suit.
Companies often settle class actions – offering payment to class members who typically waive their right to pursue further legal action by accepting money.
These payout agreements frequently include statements by the defendant denying wrongdoing. Companies tend to settle class actions to avoid the costs of further litigation.
Pollution, discrimination, or false advertising are a few examples of what can land a class action on a company’s doorstep.
The CCPA payments might be increased or lowered, depending on the amount of claims filed with the settlement.
As well as the cash payments, affected people can also access two years of credit and identity monitoring through Kroll Essential Monitoring.
Class action members can also opt for a $100 cash payment instead of credit and identity monitoring.
Members have until October 8 to submit a claim.
The third company settling a class action lawsuit over a data breach is BJC HealthCare.
All patients are eligible to receive a cash payment of $35m, which may increase or decrease depending on the number of claims made in the suit.
The Missouri-based non-profit health care organisation has an estimated 30,000 employees and 15 hospitals.
All three companies agreed to settle after being accused of serious data breaches[/caption]
The lawsuit claimed BJC HealthCare shared patient information with third parties, such as Facebook and Google, without patient consent.
Legal documents say this kind of information sharing allegedly violated patients’ privacy rights.
All individuals who used BJC’s MyChart patient portal between June 2017 and August 2022 were impacted by the alleged data breach.
The company has not admitted wrongdoing; however, it has agreed to pay a $5.5 million settlement to resolve the class action.
The class action could increase to $9.25 million depending on the number of claims filed.
Members have until October 8 to submit a claim.
