Lehigh Valley Health Network Settlement: Judge Clears the Way for the Approval of $65 Million Settlement in Data Breach Case
In November of 2024, a judge in Pennsylvania cleared the way for a $65 million settlement in a massive healthcare data breach case (Jane Doe v. Lehigh Valley Health Network, Inc.). Many patients of the Lehigh Valley Health Network in Allentown had sensitive nude photos hacked—and posted on the internet—as part of a ransomware scheme. At Saltz Mongeluzzi Bendesky P.C., we fought to protect the victims of the data breach. Within this article, our Pennsylvania class action litigation attorneys provide a more comprehensive review of the case, the settlement, and the importance of protecting sensitive medical records.
Nude Photos of Cancer Patients Were Compromised at the Lehigh Valley Health Network
In February 2023, Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) detected unauthorized activity within its information technology (IT) system. It eventually identified that unauthorized activity as a ransomware attack by the Russian-affiliated group called BlackCat. BlackCat is also known as ALPHV. The breach targeted a network supporting a physician practice in Lackawanna County.
Unfortunately, a wide range of sensitive patient data was compromised. Notably, the hackers got access to clinically appropriate images of cancer patients receiving radiation oncology treatment. BlackCat demanded a ransom payment of more than $5 million—and it threatened to release the stolen data if not paid by the health care system. LVHN refused the demand. Soon after, BlackCat began leaking data on the dark web, including nude photographs of patients in order to pressure LVHN into compliance.
Note: Since the data breach, the Lehigh Valley Health Network has merged with and become a subsidiary of Jefferson Health.
Patient Medical Records are Sensitive, All Data, including Pictures, Must Be Protected
Patient medical records are among the most sensitive forms of personal information. Images are certainly no exception to the rule. Patient records can contain private details about diagnoses, treatments, and sometimes vulnerable moments captured during care, such as photos for medical purposes. Protecting this data is not only an ethical responsibility but a legal requirement under federal health regulations (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act). The Lehigh Valley Health Network cyberattack in February 2023 shows the devastating consequences for patients when sensitive records are not kept confidential. Their privacy was violated.
A Judge has Cleared the Way for the $65 Million Settlement in the Data Breach Case
As reported by WHYY Public Media, a judge in Pennsylvania has now cleared the path to allow the $65 million class action settlement that was reached in this case to proceed. It is a major settlement and a huge victory for the victims of the avoidable data breach. Indeed, the settlement—which is widely considered to be one of the largest per capita in an American healthcare data breach case— will compensate over 134,000 affected patients. Payouts are expected to range from around $50 to around $80,000. The specific amount will vary based on the extent of each victim’s data exposure. The lead plaintiff “Jane Doe” is set to receive $125,000. Notably, LVHN has not admitted wrongdoing as not admitted any wrongdoing as part of the settlement, but will make the payments and will also commit to enhancing cybersecurity measures to protect patient information.
The settlement matters for patients. Any person who has sensitive photographs taken by a health care provider for medical purposes has the fair and reasonable expectation that those pictures will be kept strictly confidential. Dealing with cancer or any other type of serious medical complication is already very challenging for people and families. The last thing any person needs to worry about is their sensitive medical data—especially something like nude photographs—getting hacked and getting leaked. Our class action litigation attorney Patrick Howard explained that “the vast majority of that money is going to mostly women whose images were published online, in topless fashion, with both their face exposed and their name in the files.”
Class Action Lawsuits Provide an Option for Getting Justice
A class-action lawsuit is a legal mechanism that allows a group of people with similar claims to collectively bring a case against the same defendant(s). In other words, it is a type of legal action that can be used if many people are affected by a similar violation—such as a defective product, environmental harm, or, as in the Lehigh Valley Health Network case, a large-scale data breach. In a class action, a few plaintiffs, known as lead plaintiffs, represent the entire group, or “class.” If successful, the resulting settlement or judgment is distributed among all class members.
Class action lawsuits offer a powerful way for people to seek justice when they have been harmed by a larger entity, such as a business, organization, or healthcare provider. By pooling resources and presenting a unified case, plaintiffs can hold powerful entities accountable while sharing the costs and efforts of litigation. The class action approach was used in the LVHN data breach case—and tens of thousands of affected patients united to hold the healthcare organization accountable for the cyberattack.
Class Action Lawyers at Saltz Mongeluzzi Bendesky are Proud to Fight for Justice for Victims
The class action lawyers at Saltz Mongeluzzi Bendesky are dedicated to pursuing justice for victims of corporate/organizational negligence and misconduct. We proudly represented the plaintiffs in the Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) data breach case. Indeed, our class action attorneys Patrick Howard and Simon B. Paris worked tirelessly to get justice for the patients who had their sensitive medical data leaked in the cybersecurity breach at LVHN.
Contact Our Pennsylvania Class Action Litigation Attorneys Today
At Saltz Mongeluzzi Bendesky P.C., our Pennsylvania class action litigation lawyers are skilled, experienced, and committed to providing top-tier guidance and support to claimants. If you have any questions about joining a class action lawsuit, we are here as a resource. Contact us today for a free, completely confidential initial consultation. We represent plaintiffs in class action lawsuits throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.