A huge data breach at Arizona’s Green Valley Pecan Company in May 2022 put the information of thousands of its customers at risk. People whose data was stolen were quickly told by the company about the security breach, but the information was already in the hands of bad people.
Green Valley Pecan company suit
People who filed the case against the company say that Green Valley Pecan Company did not do enough to keep the data safe from a cyberattack and that their security measures were not strong enough to even lessen the effects of the breach. Because the company didn’t care about their client’s security, the payment for “normal” losses caused by the data breach is quite high, at up to $400.
Not everyone will be able to get that much money, but $15 an hour for three hours has been set aside to help people who were charged fees by their bank, had to pay for travel, or even lost time dealing with the fallout. Before you can get any money, you will need to back up your claim with the right proof.
But some people were really annoyed, and the amount of money that was awarded in the case shows that. Some of the people who were affected had to deal with major problems, like identity theft or fraud, and their compensation shows that. People who have had such bad problems because of the breach could get up to $4,000 in compensation, but their claims would have to be proven, and there is no promise that they will get the full amount.
Green Valley hasn’t admitted to doing anything wrong, but they have decided to settle the case by paying a total amount. They haven’t said how much that is, just that there will be different levels of compensation. Everyone who is part of the case will get money and two years of free credit monitoring and identity theft protection.
If you do not want to be a part of the class action suit or want to file your own claim, you have until November 15, 2024, to remove yourself from the settlement or object to it. The last day for everyone else to file a claim is December 16, 2024.
In order to properly file a claim, you will need to show proof of the costs you incurred because of the breach. This could be your bank statements, cell phone bills, trip receipts, or even bills and credit reports that show the extra money you spent. On January 10, 2025, there will be the final hearing to accept the settlement.
The importance of class action suits when dealing with data breaches
This kind of class action suit lets a lot of people who have the same issues about a business work together to take the case to court. Most of the time, only one person or a small group of people files the first lawsuit. But if it is accepted as a class action suit, it can include a lot more people. This helps pay for the lawyers’ fees and makes payouts bigger because so much evidence is given at once.
When a company is being sued and decides to settle, they usually want to avoid a long and expensive court fight. They will often plead “no contest” to avoid future lawsuits that might depend on them admitting fault. It lets companies move on without admitting guilt, even if they pay to settle the case.
People in the class who accept settlement payments usually give up their right to take more legal action on the same problem. These kinds of agreements are pretty common when a lot of people are touched by the same action, like when pollution, discrimination, or false advertising happen.
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