What is Uclahealth Cyber Settlement?
Uclahealth Cyber Settlement is a new class action settlement which has been filed in California federal court on behalf of “all individuals who were enrolled as members of Ucla Healthcare and had personal electronic devices, including laptop computers, desktop computers, tablets or smartphones, wireless devices (e.g., Wi-Fi hotspots), or other handheld wireless computing devices connected to the internet at any time between Jan. 1, 2009 and Nov. 30, 2016.
This means that the Ucla Health Cyber Settlement is only for those individuals who had devices connected to the Ucla Health network. If you did not have a device connected to Ucla Health network, then you are NOT qualified to make a claim under this settlement. Even if you qualify as one of the class members, there is no guarantee that you will receive any money from this settlement. It is important to note that the Court still has to approve this settlement before it can be finalized and distributed. “The attorneys representing the class will ask the Court for approval of this settlement at a hearing that has yet to be scheduled.” You can check back at www.uclachair settlement.
Use:
The funds will be used for data protection and cybersecurity purposes, security drills, insurance, and legal fees. You can subscribe to the Ucla Health Cyber Settlement website at www.uclachairsettlement.com by either phone or email. You can receive updates by enrolling for alerts via email or text message. You can also opt out of updates if you do not want to be notified about this settlement’s progress or updates to the case. Please allow up to 3 days after enrolling for updates via text message or email to appear in your mailbox.
Reason for Uclahealth Cyber Settlement:
“On Dec. 8, 2016, the plaintiffs filed an Amended Consolidated Complaint that alleged that Uclahealth, Inc. (UCLA Health), a medical practice and provider of healthcare services in California, failed to protect its members’ unsecured electronic data on outside servers used by the UCLA Health network. Specifically, the complaint alleged that UCLA Health’s cybersecurity measures were inadequate because they allowed unauthorized access to sensitive information in the form of member Personal Identifying Information (PII), including medical records and social security numbers.” (Source: www.uclachairsettlement.com)
Claim settlement process:
If you wish to make a claim for the Ucla Health Cyber Settlement, please follow these steps as stated on the website: “If you wish to object to or opt out of this settlement, you must do so no later than 90 days after the Court grants Preliminary Approval. The Court will hold a Final Approval Hearing on the Settlement at a date and time to be determined by the Court. At that hearing, the Court will hear any objections or opt-out requests.” If you have any questions about this information please contact the attorney administrator via email.
Being a member of Ucla Health does not automatically make you qualified for this settlement. You have to have had a device connected to Ucla Health network. You can check if you are being included by calling 1-844-420-5414 or visiting the website at www.uclachairsettlement.com .
If you wish to object/opt out of this settlement, you have to do it no later than 90 days after the Court grants preliminary approval. The Court will hold a Final Approval Hearing on the Settlement at a date and time to be determined by the Court.
Advantages:
The advantages of this proposed class action settlement include:
– up to $8,000 to cover attorney’s fees and costs in the case.
– full reimbursement by UCLA Health (the defendant) for any of your out-of-pocket expenses that are related to cybersecurity attacks.
The disadvantages of this proposed settlement include:
– no cash funds will be distributed until you get your money. You will have to sign up for a contract or other commitment (see next section).
– you may not get money from the settlement if you are older than age 55, if you did not have personal access devices connected to the Ucla Health network at some point, or if you do not live in California and USA.
– there is a cap on the amount that can be obtained in total from this settlement.
– it is unclear if you will get full/partial reimbursement for all costs incurred as a result of the data breach. The website does not say how much of your expenses will be covered by the proposed settlement.
– it is unclear what types of expenses are covered by this proposed class action settlement. We can’t verify with certainty whether you will get reimbursed for any losses caused by the breach, or what kinds of losses are covered (e.g., for replacement laptop computers or electronic devices).
Why could it work?
There is no catch to pursuing a claim under this proposed class action settlement. If you are eligible for this settlement, you will be able to get money from the Ucla Health Cyber Settlement.
If you have had a device connected to Ucla Health network, then your chances of getting caught up in this proposed class action settlement increased with the recent data breach at UCLA Health. If you were enrolled as a member at some point during the time period of Jan. 1, 2009 to Nov. 30, 2016, and if you had personal devices connected to the Ucla Health network (laptop computers, desktop computers and tablets or smartphones).
