good samaritan settlement com
goodsamaritansettlement.com - Good Samaritan Hospital, a healthcare facility located in Los Angeles, California, experienced a data security incident between October 28 and November 8, 2019, resulting in the exposure of confidential and sensitive information belonging to patients. Following this incident, a class action lawsuit was filed against the hospital, alleging that it had acted unlawfully by failing to prevent the incident and breach of privacy.
The lawsuit claims that the hospital failed to fulfill its legal obligation to secure and safeguard the confidential and sensitive information of the plaintiffs, including their personal identification details, health insurance information, billing information, medical records, and other sensitive information. The lawsuit further alleges that the hospital breached its promise to the plaintiffs and class members concerning the security of their information. The class action lawsuit alleges that the hospital violated the California Confidentiality of Medical Information Act, acted negligently, and engaged in unfair business practices.
Good Samaritan Hospital denies all allegations of wrongdoing and insists that it complied with all applicable laws. The court has not ruled on the merits of the claims or the defenses asserted by the hospital. However, the court has approved a proposed settlement, which provides benefits to the class members.
The settlement is available to all residents of California who received the notice of the data security incident letter in June and July 2020. The benefits provided by the settlement include identity monitoring services from Experian for two years, cash payments for documented losses, and remedial measures to improve the hospital's data security practices.
Identity monitoring services from Experian, including identity theft insurance of up to $1,000,000, and fraud resolution services will be provided for two years from the effective date of the settlement. To enroll and receive this benefit, class members must submit a claim form. The settlement also provides for cash payments to class members who submit valid claims for reimbursement of expenses resulting from the incident.
Good Samaritan Hospital has also agreed to make specific improvements to its data security practices, valued at $459,921.51, with ongoing efforts to increase the value of the remedial measures. These remedial measures must be accomplished within no more than 90 days following the effective date and maintained for at least three years.
Class members have until July 18, 2023, to file a claim and receive the benefits provided by the settlement. They may also exclude themselves from the settlement, object to the settlement, or do nothing. Those who exclude themselves will not receive any benefits offered in this settlement, but they may participate in other lawsuits against the hospital involving the same or similar legal claims as the ones in the action.
In conclusion, the Good Samaritan settlement provides a fair resolution for the data security incident that occurred in 2019, compensating the affected class members for their documented losses and providing them with identity monitoring services to mitigate the risk of identity theft and fraud. The remedial measures taken by the hospital to improve its data security practices are also a step in the right direction towards preventing such incidents in the future.