PruittHealth class action alleges company responsible for 2023 data breach

PruittHealth class action lawsuit overview:

• Who: Plaintiff Tina Clayton filed a class action lawsuit against PruittHealth Inc.
• Why: Clayton claims that PruittHealth had inadequate data security measures that left its systems vulnerable to a 2023 data breach.
• Where: The PruittHealth class action lawsuit was filed in Georgia federal court.

A new PruittHealth class action lawsuit alleges the healthcare provider failed to adequately protect its data, leading to a 2023 data breach that may have compromised the personal information of more than 56,000 consumers.

Plaintiff Tina Clayton, a former PruittHealth employee, alleges the healthcare company’s “inadequate safeguarding” of data enabled hackers to access its systems.

The hackers allegedly gained access to PruittHealth’s systems in November 2023 and threatened to leak the stolen data unless the company paid a ransom.

On Dec. 7, 2023, the hackers claimed they published the stolen data on their blog but the site was taken down before forensic specialists could access it, the PruittHealth class action lawsuit says.

Because the hackers’ site was taken down, PruittHealth says it was not able to confirm whose information was exposed.

Plaintiff says PruittHealth data breach puts victims at risk of identity theft, fraud

Clayton says she was not notified of the PruittHealth data breach for more than six months.

“Because of the data breach, plaintiff and class members have been exposed to a heightened and imminent risk of fraud and identity theft,” the PruittHealth class action lawsuit states. “Plaintiff and class members must now and in the future closely monitor their financial accounts to guard against identity theft.”

The information stolen in the PruittHealth data breach reportedly includes names, birthdates, Social Security numbers, bank account information, insurance information and healthcare records.

Clayton alleges PruittHealth failed to implement minimum industry standards for cybersecurity. She says the company used outdated computers, failed to train employees about email security and password protection and failed to implement procedures for handling ransomware attacks.

Although Clayton is not sure whether her information was exposed in the PruittHealth data breach, she has spent significant time trying to mitigate the potential damage.

She says she now checks her bank and credit card accounts daily, spending about an hour a week monitoring her accounts for signs of fraud. 

“Plaintiff and class members face substantial risk of out-of-pocket fraud losses such as loans opened in their names, medical services billed in their names, tax return fraud, utility bills opened in their names, credit card fraud and similar identity theft,” Clayton claims.

The PruittHealth class action lawsuit asserts claims for negligence, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty and unjust enrichment.

Ascension Health was recently hit with a similar data breach class action lawsuit alleging the healthcare company failed to safeguard its data thereby enabling hackers to access its systems.

Were you affected by the PruittHealth data breach? Tell us about your experience in the comments.

Clayton is represented by Ainsworth G. Dudley of Dudley Law LLC and Jarrett L. Ellzey and Leigh Montgomery of Ellzey & Associates PLLC.

The PruittHealth data breach class action lawsuit is Tina Clayton v. PruittHealth Inc., Case No. 1:24-cv-02960-TWT, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.

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