South Texas Oncology and Hematology, a San Antonio, TX-based provider of leading-edge cancer treatment and other medical services, has settled a class action lawsuit stemming from a February 2024 cyberattack and data breach that involved unauthorized access to the personal information of 176,303 individuals, including the protected health information of 175,195 individuals.
Suspicious network activity was identified on February 15, 2024, and the forensic investigation confirmed that an unauthorized individual accessed its network and potentially obtained employee and patient information. Data exposed in the incident included names, contact information, dates of birth, health information, and Social Security numbers. The affected individuals were notified about the incident in June 2024.
The first class action lawsuit over the data breach was filed by plaintiff Doris Flores on June 24, 2024, in the U.S. District Court for Bexar County, Texas, 438th Judicial District. Several other lawsuits were subsequently filed, and since they made similar claims and had overlapping classes, the plaintiffs’ counsel agreed to work cooperatively and litigate in a single action – Flores v. South Texas Oncology and Hematology, PLLC.
The consolidated lawsuit alleged that the defendant failed to implement reasonable and appropriate cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive data on its network, and that the data breach should have been prevented. South Texas Oncology and Hematology maintains that there was no wrongdoing, there is no liability, and denies all claims and contentions in the lawsuit. The defendant and the plaintiffs agreed to a settlement to avoid the costs and risk associated with a trial, with no admission of fault or liability.
The settlement has received preliminary approval from the court, and the final fairness hearing has been scheduled for July 21, 2026. Under the terms of the settlement, South Texas Oncology and Hematology has agreed to pay $1,075,000 to cover attorneys’ fees and expenses, settlement administration and notification costs, service awards for the class representatives, and benefits for the class members.
Class members may submit a claim for reimbursement of up to $5,000 in documented, unreimbursed losses due to the data breach, or they may claim an alternative pro rata cash payment. The cash payments are estimated to be $100 per class member, but may be higher or lower depending on the number of valid claims received. In addition to one of those benefits, class members may also claim two years of free medical data monitoring services. Claims must be submitted by July 6, 2026, and individuals wishing to object to the settlement or exclude themselves must do so by June 22, 2026.
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