New London Hospital data breach class action lawsuit settlement

New London Hospital agreed to a class action lawsuit settlement to resolve claims it failed to protect consumer data in a 2020 data breach.

The settlement benefits individuals who received a notification from New London Hospital about the data breach.

New London Hospital in New Hampshire is part of Dartmouth Health and works to provide its rural community with emergency care, laboratory work, wellness visits and more. 

In July 2020, an unauthorized third party allegedly gained access to New London’s health systems, which contained no health information but did contain personal information such as names and demographics. The hospital sent notices to affected consumers in March 2021.

Shortly after being informed of the data breach, consumers took legal action against New London Hospital, arguing in their lawsuit that the healthcare provider failed to protect patient information through reasonable cybersecurity measures. Plaintiffs in the case also challenged New London’s handling of the data breach and how long it took the hospital to inform affected consumers of the breach.

According to the data breach class action lawsuit, New London Hospital is responsible for the losses and damages experienced by patients following the data breach. The hospital previously attempted to dismiss the class action lawsuit, but the court did not make a ruling before the plaintiffs filed an amended complaint.

New London Hospital hasn’t admitted any wrongdoing but agreed to pay an undisclosed sum to settle these allegations.

Under the terms of the New London Hospital lawsuit settlement, class members can receive reimbursement for ordinary and extraordinary losses resulting from the data breach. 

Each class member can claim up to $500 for unreimbursed losses, professional fees, credit expenses, communication charges, five hours of lost time at a rate of $20 per hour and $125 in statutory benefits. 

Consumers can also claim up to $5,000 for extraordinary losses resulting from fraud or identity theft. These losses may include fraudulent charges, fraudulent tax returns and more. 

Class members can claim both ordinary and extraordinary losses for a total maximum payment of $5,500.

All class members can receive two years of free three-bureau credit monitoring, even if they are not claiming losses under the settlement. 

The deadline for exclusion and objection is Dec. 7, 2022. 

The final approval hearing for the settlement is scheduled for Jan. 27, 2023.

In order to receive settlement benefits, class members must submit a valid claim form by Jan. 8, 2023.

Who’s Eligible

Individuals who received a notification from New London Hospital about the data breach.

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

01/08/2023

Case Name

Tom Steen, et al., v. The New London Hospital Association, Inc., d/b/a New London Hospital and Newport Health Center, Case No. 217-2021-CV00281, in the New Hampshire Merrimack County Superior Court

Final Hearing

01/27/2023

Settlement Website

NLHDataSettlement.com

Claims Administrator

New London Hospital Settlement
Claims Administrator
P.O. Box 59479
Philadelphia, PA 19102-9479
NLHDataSettlement@rg2claims.com
866-742-4955

Class Counsel

Gary M Klinger
David K Lietz
MILBERG COLEMAN BRYSON PHILLIPS GROSSMAN PLLC

Defense Counsel

Daniel M Deschenes
Owen R Graham
HINCKLEY ALLEN & SNYDER LLP

Mark A Olthoff
Brisa II Wolfe
John C Cleary
POLSINELLI PC