AMERICANS have the chance to score up to $5,000 from a data breach settlement.
To check if you qualify, you just have to search for a certain phrase in your mailbox.
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Drug Free Workplaces is paying out to settle claims over a data breachCredit: Getty
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Claimants could receive up to $5,000 to reimburse lossesCredit: Getty
The cash is being paid out by Drug Free Workplaces – a third party manager of drug and alcohol testing for employers.
The firm has agreed to pay out the money in order to settle claims it failed to prevent a data breach.
It is not admitting to any wrongdoing in the process.
Claimants allege that DFW was negligent in failing to protect their personal data – including names and social security numbers – which was leaked.
The case against DFW is being brought by Alexander Cohen and Tara Hill, on behalf of the affected group.
The payout will benefit anyone who received a notice from DFW in 2023 to say their data had been compromised in a breach.
The leak occurred between March 29 and May 4, 2023.
Class members were sent these notices by mail.
Search for the company name in your inbox to see if you received one.
People who submit a valid claim can receive up to $475 for losses suffered as a result of the data breach.
They may also claim for up to four hours of lost time resulting from the breach.
This will be valued at $17 per hour.
However, those who suffered “extraordinary losses” may claim up to $5,000 from the pot.
This larger sum applies to people who lost money to identity theft resulting from the data breach.
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.
All claimants will also be in line for two years of identity theft protection and credit monitoring services.
Those who receive payouts through the settlement will be giving up their right to sue DFW over this data incident.
Valid claim forms must be submitted by February 25, 2025.
The final settlement hearing will be on March 12, 2025.
Millions of americans have another chance to cash in on an enormous settlement case.
Blue Cross Blue Shield has wound up in legal trouble over anti-competitive practices, culminating in a $2.67 billion settlement.
The health insurance organization has agreed to pay out $333 to around six million Americans.
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