Duke Energy Carolinas class action claims data breach exposed customer data

Duke Energy Carolinas class action lawsuit overview: 

• Who: Plaintiff Matthew Saunders filed a class action lawsuit against Duke Energy Carolinas LLC. 
• Why: Saunders claims Duke Energy Carolinas failed to properly safeguard and secure the sensitive information of its customers during a May 2024 data breach announced by the company this month. 
• Where: The class action lawsuit was filed in North Carolina federal court. 

A new class action lawsuit alleges that Duke Energy Carolinas failed to properly safeguard and secure the sensitive information of its customers during a May 2024 data breach announced by the electricity and natural gas company this month. 

Plaintiff Matthew Saunders’ class action lawsuit claims Duke Energy Carolinas’ customers entrusted their sensitive personal information to the electricity and natural gas company with the “mutual understanding” it would be protected against disclosure. 

“Defendant promised to provide confidentiality and adequate security for the data it collected from customers through its applicable privacy policy and through other disclosures in compliance with statutory privacy requirements,” the Duke Energy Carolinas class action says. 

Despite this promise, Saunders argues the sensitive information was “targeted, compromised and unlawfully accessed” due to the Duke Energy Carolinas data breach between May 20-24, 2024. 

Saunders wants to represent a nationwide class and Florida subclass of consumers whose personally identifiable information (PII) was accessed and/or acquired by an unauthorized third party as a result of the Duke Energy Carolinas data breach. 

Duke Energy Carolinas failed to maintain ‘adequate’ data security measures, class action says

Duke Energy Carolinas failed to use “reasonable security procedures and practices appropriate to the nature of the sensitive information” that was being maintained, such as by encrypting the info or deleting it when it was no longer needed, the class action alleges. 

“The injuries to Plaintiff and Class Members were directly and proximately caused by Defendant’s failure to implement or maintain adequate data security measures for the PII of Plaintiff and Class Members,” the class action says. 

Saunders claims Duke Energy Carolinas is guilty of negligence, negligence per se, breach of implied contract and unjust enrichment, and violating the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act. 

The plaintiff demands a jury trial and requests declaratory and injunctive relief and an award of  actual, nominal, consequential and punitive damages for himself and all class members. 

A consumer filed a similar class action lawsuit against Robinhood Markets in November over claims the stock brokerage firm failed to secure the PII of its users during a data breach. 

Were you affected by the Duke Energy Carolinas data breach? Let us know in the comments.

The plaintiff is represented by Scott C. Harris of Milberg Coleman Bryson Phillips Grossman, PLLC. 

The Duke Energy Carolinas class action lawsuit is Saunders, et al. v. Duke Energy Carolinas LLC, Case No. 3:24-cv-01074, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina.

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