The American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island says a proposed settlement has been filed in the class-action, data breach lawsuit against RIPTA.
The August 2021 breach at RIPTA compromised the Social Security numbers and other personal and health care information of thousands of people.
Among the key points of the settlement:
``RIPTA and UHC and will establish a $350,000 settlement fund, with the possible addition of $25,000 more if claims exceed that amount, as financial compensation to those class members who submit claims in the categories summarized below.
``Members of the class can claim up to $1,000 for appropriately documented, unreimbursed out-of-pocket expenses related to the data breach or efforts to mitigate its effects, such as bank fees, card replacement costs, identity document fees, and credit monitoring services purchased since the breach occurred.
``Members of the class can claim up to four hours of lost time at $15 per hour for addressing issues related to the data breach by submitting an attestation form. This can include activities like changing passwords, monitoring accounts, contacting financial institutions, signing up for fraud protection, or researching the incident and its impact. At least one hour is presumed for each claimant who submits a form.
``Members of the class may claim up to $7,500 for appropriately documented “extraordinary losses” resulting from identity theft, fraud, falsified tax returns, or other misuse of personal information caused by the data breach.
The ACLU says more than 19-thousand people could receive part of the settlement which includes payments for losses due to identity theft, fraud, falsified tax returns or other misuse of personal information.
A state judge is expected to approve the settlement at a hearing March 31.
(Photo: Rhode Island ACLU)