King’s Seafood data breach $350K class action settlement

King’s Seafood agreed to a $350,000 settlement to resolve class action lawsuit claims it failed to protect consumer information from a data breach.

The settlement benefits individuals who received a notice of the King’s Seafood data breach announced by the company in August 2021.

King’s Seafood, an operator of restaurants in California, Arizona and Nevada, announced in August 2021 it had been the victim of a data breach. The data breach, which reportedly started on June 4, 2021, allegedly compromised the personal information of current and former employees and customers such as names, payment card data, driver’s license information and partial Social Security numbers. 

Affected consumers quickly took legal action against King’s Seafood, holding the restaurant operator liable for the breach of their sensitive data. 

According to plaintiffs in the case, King’s Seafood could have prevented the data breach with reasonable cybersecurity information. The consumers also challenged the company’s response to the data breach, arguing that King’s Seafood should have immediately told them that their information was compromised. Instead, the company allegedly waited months to inform consumers.

“As a result of this delayed response, Plaintiff and Class Members had no idea their PII had been compromised, and that they were, and continue to be, at significant risk of identity theft and various other forms of personal, social, and financial harm,” the data breach class action lawsuit contends. “The risk will remain for their respective lifetimes. “

King’s Seafood hasn’t admitted any wrongdoing but agreed to a $350,000 class action settlement to resolve these allegations.

Under the terms of the King’s Seafood settlement, class members can receive a cash payment for ordinary expenses, lost time, and extraordinary expenses. 

Class members can claim up to $450 for ordinary expenses resulting from the data breach, including credit freeze costs, communication charges, credit monitoring and up to three hours of lost time at a rate of $20 per hour. Class members can receive an additional $3,000 in reimbursement for extraordinary data breach expenses such as unreimbursed monetary losses resulting from fraud or identity theft. 

In addition to providing cash benefits, the settlement provides enhanced protection of consumer data. King’s Seafood agreed to enhance its cybersecurity for 36 months beginning in July 2021. According to the settlement website, these enhancements are valued at over $500,000.

The deadline for exclusion and objection is Dec. 21, 2022. 

The final approval hearing for the King’s Seafood settlement is scheduled for Feb. 13, 2023.

In order to receive settlement benefits, class members must submit a valid claim form by Jan. 20, 2023.

Who’s Eligible

Individuals who received a notice of the King’s Seafood data breach announced by the company in Aug. 2021

Potential Award

Varies

Proof of Purchase

No proof of purchase applicable

Claim Form

NOTE: If you do not qualify for this settlement do NOT file a claim.

Remember: you are submitting your claim under penalty of perjury. You are also harming other eligible Class Members by submitting a fraudulent claim. If you’re unsure if you qualify, please read the FAQ section of the Settlement Administrator’s website to ensure you meet all standards (Top Class Actions is not a Settlement Administrator). If you don’t qualify for this settlement, check out our database of other open class action settlements you may be eligible for.

Claim Form Deadline

01/20/2023

Case Name

Jonathan Bowdle v. King’s Seafood Co. LLC, Case No. 8:21-CV-01784-CJC-JDE, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California

Final Hearing

02/13/2023

Settlement Website

KingsSeafoodClassActionSettlement.com

Claims Administrator

Bowdle v. King’s Seafood Settlement
c/o Atticus Administration
P.O. Box 64053
St. Paul, MN 55164
KingsSeafoodClassAtionSettlement@atticusadmin.com
888-232-9896

Class Counsel

M. Anderson Berry
CLAYEO C ARNOLD A PROFESSIONAL LAW CORP

Rachele R. Byrd
WOLF HALDENSTEIN ADLER FREEMAN & HERZ LLP

Defense Counsel

Jon P. Kardassakis
LEWIS BRISBOIS BISGAARD & SMITH LLP