Amanda Antell  |  May 1, 2015

Category: Consumer News

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data breach

Washington plaintiff family members Paul H., Rhonda H., and Alex H. are suing Premera Blue Cross for allegedly failing in its duty to protect their personal information. The plaintiffs claim that the company not only failed to protect their personal information, but also failed to inform them that their information had been compromised in a timely manner.

This lawsuit is a part of the growing litigation movement against Premera Blue Cross, in light of a recent data breach the company suffered on May 5, 2014. Approximately 11 million policyholders from Washington, Oregon, and Alaska have gotten notification letters from the company that their personal information had been compromised, and that they may be vulnerable to identity theft.

Before the attack, Premera had been reportedly ordered to upgrade its internal security to prevent cyber attacks, but had not done so. Legal records indicate that at least nine class action lawsuits have been filed against Premera Blue Cross, alleging similar complaints. News sources indicate that this security breach is the largest that has ever occurred in recent history.

Like many other affected policyholders, the plaintiffs in this lawsuit have been members of Premera for many years, with Premera providing. insurance coverage in private banking and healthcare. Like with any insurance provider, the plaintiffs had to submit their personal information in the form of emails, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, addresses, and other personally identifiable information.

Unfortunately for the plaintiffs, this information was compromised on May 5, 2014 when Premera’s IT security was breached by hackers, who successfully gained access to thousands of former and current Premera policyholders. Despite the severity of the situation, Premera did not discover the breach until Jan. 29, 2015, and allegedly failed to take immediate action. It was not until March 17, 2015, that Premera publicly announced the cyber attack, describing it as a sophisticated attack that had the specific purpose of targeting Premera’s customers.

The plaintiffs received notification letters of the security breach sometime after the company’s announcement, which explained the details of the cyber attack and that their personal information had been compromised. For the remainder of their lives, the plaintiff family will allegedly have to remain on high alert for identity theft.

The plaintiffs complain that they would have taken immediate action in identity theft prevention had they been told of the Premera data breach. The family is suing Premera for the emotional distress, negligence, and breach of contract.

This Premera Data Breach Lawsuit is Case No. 2:15-cv-00626-RSM, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Washington, Seattle Division.

Overview of Premera Data Breach Allegations

Premera initially discovered this attack on Jan. 29, 2015, but the company’s investigation revealed that the attack had occurred on May 5, 2014. This attack reportedly occurred several weeks after federal authorities told Premera that their internal security was susceptible to a data breach, and that the company should make improvements immediately. Despite knowing about this attack for months, Premera did not inform their customers until months after the attack. Unfortunately, the full extent of the breach has not been disclosed, with legal sources indicating that the breach may have compromised the information of policyholders from as far back as 2002.

With millions of policyholders now at risk for identity theft, Premera is facing major repercussions for this incident. According to legal specialists, Premera could be held accountable on various liability charges including failing to take adequate preventative action, and for failing to warn consumers of immediate identity theft risks. While the company has offered their policyholders two years of free credit monitoring, many complain that the company is merely providing a service that was supposed to be conducted to begin with.

Join a Free Premera Blue Cross Data Breach Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you were insured by Premera and/or its affiliates between 2002 and Jan. 29, 2015, you may have a legal claim for compensation. This includes all individuals who fall into one of the following categories:

  • Premera Blue Cross subscriber or applicant
  • Premera Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alaska subscriber or applicant
  • Vivacity applicant, customer, or member
  • Connexion applicant, customer, or member
  • Individuals “doing business” with Premera
  • Members of other Blue Cross Blue Shield plans who sought treatment in Washington or Alaska
  • Members of LifeWise Health Plan of Oregon and other Premera subsidiaries

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