Sea Mar data breach $4.4M class action settlement

UPDATE: 

• Final approval was granted for this class action settlement on Dec. 20, 2022.

• Let Top Class Actions know when you receive a check in the comments section below or on our Facebook page.

Sea Mar Community Health Centers agreed to pay $4.4 million as part of a class action lawsuit settlement to resolve claims a 2020 and 2021 data breach compromised sensitive patient data.

The settlement benefits individuals whose private information was compromised in the Sea Mar Community Health Centers data breach that occurred between December 2020 and March 2021.

In October 2021, Sea Mar announced it had been the subject of a months-long data breach from late 2020 to early 2021, according to Health IT Security. The breach reportedly compromised sensitive information such as Social Security numbers and health insurance information. 

Affected consumers took legal action against Sea Mar, claiming the company failed to protect their sensitive information. With reasonable cybersecurity measures, the plaintiffs maintain, Sea Mar could have prevented the breach or at least identified the problem earlier instead of allowing it to continue for months.

In addition, the plaintiffs challenge the delay in informing affected individuals. Despite learning of the breach in June 2021, Sea Mar allegedly waited months to inform consumers.

“Defendant failed to comply with industry standards to protect information systems that contained Class Members PII and PHI, and failed to provide timely, accurate, and adequate notice to Plaintiff and other Class Members that their PII and PHI had been accessed and copied by an unauthorized third party,” the data breach class action lawsuit contends.

Sea Mar hasn’t admitted any wrongdoing but agreed to resolve these allegations with a $4.4 million class action settlement. 

Under the terms of the settlement, class members can collect up to $2,500 for reimbursement of ordinary expenses, up to $25,000 for extraordinary expenses, and identity theft protection.

Ordinary expenses covered under the $2,500 reimbursement include identity theft protection costs, professional fees, miscellaneous expenses, and up to 10 hours of lost time at a rate of $30 per hour.

Class members who did not experience ordinary expenses as a result of the data breach can make a claim for an alternate payment of $100.

Extraordinary expenses covered by the data breach include documented monetary losses arising from financial fraud or identity theft. These expenses must be meticulously documented in order for class members to receive reimbursement.

All class members are eligible for 36 months of identity protection through IDX Identity Protection Services. These services include three-bureau credit monitoring, $1 million in identity-theft insurance and identity restoration services.

The deadline for exclusion and objection is Oct. 31, 2022.

The final approval hearing for the settlement is scheduled for Dec. 9, 2022.

In order to receive benefits from the data breach settlement, class members must submit a valid claim form by Dec. 30, 2022.

Who’s Eligible

The settlement benefits individuals whose private information was compromised in the Sea Mar Community Health Centers data breach that occurred between December 2020 and March 2021.

Potential Award

Varies

Proof of Purchase

Proof of purchase not 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

12/30/2022

Case Name

Jeffrie Allan Summers II v. Sea Mar Community Health Centers, Case No. 2-2-00773-7-SEA in the Superior Court of the State of Washington for King County

Final Hearing

12/09/2022

Settlement Website

CommunityHealthDataIncident.com

Claims Administrator

Class Counsel

Defense Counsel