Lakeview Health Systems reaches proposed settlement in data breach class action

A proposed settlement has been reached in a class action lawsuit arising from a January 2024 cyberattack on Lakeview Health Systems LLC that exposed the personal and protected health information of 10,772 individuals.

The litigation followed a network intrusion in which hackers accessed and potentially obtained files containing a range of sensitive information. The compromised data included names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, financial account numbers, patient identification numbers, diagnoses, treatment details, prescription information and health insurance information.

After individuals were notified of the incident, several affected people filed lawsuits against Lakeview Health Systems, alleging the company failed to adequately safeguard sensitive information maintained on its network. The plaintiffs contended that the breach could have been prevented.

Lakeview Health Systems denied wrongdoing and liability in connection with the claims.

The lawsuits, which raised similar allegations, were consolidated into a single case, Skov et al. v. Lakeview Health Systems, L.L.C., in the Circuit Court of Duval County, Florida. Although the case remains pending, both sides agreed to resolve the dispute through a settlement rather than continue litigation.

Under the proposed agreement, the defendant will cover attorneys’ fees and expenses, settlement administration and notification costs, and service awards for class representatives.

Class members may seek reimbursement of documented, unreimbursed ordinary losses related to the breach of up to $2,000 per person. The settlement also provides for reimbursement of extraordinary losses of up to $5,000 per claimant.

In addition, eligible individuals may submit claims for up to four hours of lost time at a rate of $20 per hour and may obtain one year of credit monitoring services. Class members who do not pursue those benefits may instead request a one-time cash payment of $50.