Brockton Neighborhood Health Center to Pay Up to $850,000 to Settle Breach Lawsuit
Massachusetts-based Brockton Neighborhood Health Center has agreed to pay up to $825,000 to settle class action litigation over a 2024 cyberattack and data breach that affected 97,488 individuals. The data breach that sparked the lawsuits was identified on November 3, 2024. The forensic investigation confirmed that an unauthorized third party accessed its network between November 1 and November 3, 2024. That third party was a ransomware group called Interlock, which obtained files containing patient information such as names, addresses, dates of birth, diagnoses/conditions, lab test results, medications, other treatment information, medical record numbers, and health insurance information.
Multiple class action lawsuits were filed in response to the data breach, alleging that the data breach could have been prevented and occurred as a result of cybersecurity failures. The lawsuits were consolidated into a single complaint – Howard, et al. v. Brockton Neighborhood Health Center, Inc. – which is pending in the Plymouth County Superior Court for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
The consolidated lawsuit asserts claims for negligence, breach of implied contract, unjust enrichment, and invasion of privacy. Brockton Neighborhood Health Center maintains there was no wrongdoing and disagrees with all claims and contentions in the lawsuit. After weighing up the risks and uncertainties of continued litigation, all parties agreed to a settlement.
Brockton Neighborhood Health Center has agreed to pay attorneys’ fees and expenses, settlement administration costs, and service awards for the class representatives. An $850,000 settlement fund has been established to cover those costs and pay benefits to the class members. All class members may claim three years of credit monitoring services. A claim may also be submitted for reimbursement of documented, unreimbursed losses due to the data breach up to a maximum of $2,500 per class member. An alternative cash payment of up to $50 per class member may be claimed if a reimbursement claim is not filed.
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The settlement has received preliminary approval from the court. The deadline for objection is November 9, 2026, and claims must be submitted by December 8, 2026. The final fairness hearing has been scheduled for January 12, 2027.
