DCH Healthcare Hit With Hospital Ransomware Class Action

Patients have launched a hospital ransomware class action against DCH Health System, claiming that the hospital failed to protect patient information.

The patient-plaintiffs claim that DCH was responsible for protecting the sensitive information of their patients – a responsibility that they reportedly failed when patient data was compromised in a recent ransomware attack.

On Oct. 1, officials from the DCH Health System announced that they had been hit with a ransomware attack. The three hospitals in the DCH health system were reportedly “closed to all but the most critical new patients,” according to the hospital statement.

“Our hospitals have implemented our emergency procedures to ensure safe and efficient operations in the event technology dependent on computers is not available,” the health system assured patients in their statement.

“That said, we feel it is in the best interest of patient safety that DCH Regional Medical Center, Northport Medical Center and Fayette Medical Center are closed to all but the most critical new patients. Our staff is caring for the patients who are currently in the hospital, and we have no plans to transfer current patients.”

According to the hospital ransomware class action lawsuit, the attack compromised sensitive patient information including Social Security numbers, health insurance information, medical information, other HIPAA protected information, personal identifiable information, and more.

The patients claim that DCH maintained their information in a “reckless manner” which caused their computer network to be accessed by unauthorized parties. This has reportedly had serious consequences for patients including the disruption of their ability to seek care.

“As a consequence of the ransomware locking down the medical records of plaintiffs and class members, plaintiffs and the class members had to forego medical care and treatment or had to seek alternative care and treatment,” the ransomware class action alleges.

Plaintiffs and other patients allegedly sustained other “ascertainable losses” in the form of the value of their time and any out of pocket expenses incurred while attempting to mitigate the effects of the ransomware attack.

“What’s more, aside from having their lives disrupted, Plaintiffs’ and Class Members’ identities are now at risk because of [DCH’s] negligent conduct since, the Private Information that Defendant collected and maintained is now in the hands of data thieves,” the hospital ransomware class action claims.

The plaintiffs seek to represent a Class of consumers whose information was compromised in the DCH Healthcare ransomware attack that was announced on Oct. 1, 2019.

Hospital Ransomware Attacks: Overview

In ransomware attacks, hackers infiltrate a hospital’s systems and hold those systems “hostage” until the hospital pays a ransom. These ransomware attacks on hospitals can result in significant disruptions to patient care. Hospitals affected by ransomware attacks have been forced to close their doors to all but the most critical patients.

Even if hospital systems cave to the demands of hackers, there is no way to ensure that the information accessed was not stored or sold. There is also no guarantee that hospitals who pay the amount will not be subject to a future attack.

Some hospitals have had to close down completely due to “ransomware” attacks on hospital computer systems. The attacks reportedly caused hospitals to be locked out of their computer systems until they pay hackers a hefty sum in Bitcoin.

Not only are healthcare providers rendered unable to properly care for their charges, but patients are also often faced with inconveniences and hassle due to the attacks—appointments can be canceled without notice, important medical records can be deleted, and other problems can occur.

These issues can result in time lost, patients not getting the medical care they need as well as other legal injuries.

Many hospitals may be affected by these ransomware attacks, but the following locations have had confirmed attacks against them:

• DCH Regional Medical Center (Alabama)
• Northport Medical Center (Alabama)
• Fayette Medical Center (Alabama)
• Park DuValle Community Health Center (Kentucky)
• Campbell County Health (Wyoming)

Join a Free Hospital Ransomware Attack Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you were a patient at a hospital or healthcare facility affected by a ransomware attack that impacted your medical care, you may qualify to join a hospital ransomware attack class action lawsuit investigation.

Learn More

This article is not legal advice. It is presented
for informational purposes only.