Carespring Health Care Management in Ohio and LifeBridge Health in Maryland have agreed to settle class action lawsuits stemming from data breaches.
Carespring Health Care Management
Carespring Health Care Management has agreed to settle a class action lawsuit stemming from an October 2023 cyberattack and data breach. Hackers gained access to the protected health information of 64,609 individuals, including names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, financial information, health insurance information, and medical information.
The first class action lawsuit over the data breach was filed by plaintiff Phyllis Rise on August 29, 2024. Four related actions were subsequently filed by other affected individuals. The five lawsuits were consolidated – Rice, et al., v. Carespring Health Care Management, LLC – in the Court of Common Pleas for Clermont County, Ohio, as the lawsuits had overlapping claims.
The consolidated lawsuit asserted several claims, including negligence/negligence per se, breach of contract, breach of implied contract, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of confidence, invasion of privacy, fraud, misrepresentation, unjust enrichment, bailment, wantonness, and the failure to provide adequate notice about the data breach. Carespring Health Care Management denies all claims asserted in the lawsuit.
To avoid the expense, delay, and uncertainties of litigation, all parties agreed to a settlement, with no admission of liability or wrongdoing. Carespring Health Care Management will pay up to $305,000 to cover attorneys’ fees and expenses, service awards of $2,500 for each of the five class representatives, and benefits for the class members. Class members may submit a claim for two years of single-bureau credit monitoring services, and a claim for up to $4,500 as compensation for documented, unreimbursed losses resulting from the data breach. If a claim is not submitted for reimbursement of losses, class members may claim an alternative $50 cash payment
The deadline for objection to and exclusion from the settlement is March 17, 2026. Claims must be submitted by April 16, 2026, and the final fairness hearing has been scheduled for April 28, 2026.
LifeBridge Health
LifeBridge Health Inc., a Maryland-based holding company for four Maryland hospitals and other affiliated entities, has agreed to pay $575,000 to settle class action litigation stemming from a cybersecurity incident detected in November 2024. LifeBridge Health determined that a hacker intermittently accessed its computer systems between August 27, 2024, and September 21, 2024, and potentially obtained patients’ protected health information. The affected individuals were notified about the data breach on April 1, 2025.
A lawsuit was filed in the Circuit Court for Baltimore County, Maryland, in response to the data breach, alleging it could have been prevented had LifeBridge Health implemented reasonable and appropriate cybersecurity measures. The lawsuit – Ragin v. LifeBridge Health, Inc. – asserted claims of negligence, alleged breach of implied contract, and breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing. LifeBridge Health denies all allegations in the lawsuit and maintains there was no wrongdoing. While believing that it would have prevailed at trial, the decision was taken to settle the litigation to avoid the cost, distraction, and uncertainty of trial and related appeals.
A $575,000 settlement fund will be established to cover attorneys’ fees and expenses, settlement administration costs, and service awards for the class representatives. The remainder of the fund will be used to pay for benefits for the class members. LifeBridge Health has also agreed to make data security enhancements to better protect patient data.
A claim may be submitted for reimbursement of documented, unreimbursed losses due to the data breach up to a maximum of $5,000 per class member. A claim may also be submitted for a flat cash payment, which will be paid pro rata after all valid claims have been paid. The cash payment is estimated to be $100 per class member, but may be higher or lower depending on the number of valid claims received. The deadline for objection to and exclusion from the settlement is February 28, 2026. The deadline for submitting a claim is February 28, 2026, and the final fairness hearing has been scheduled for March 20, 2026.
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