CommScope, a communication technology company based in North Carolina, agreed to pay $440,000 to customers affected by a data breach in March 2023. Notably, the company has not admitted to any wrongdoing but has notified customers it has identified as impacted.
As Top Class Actions reported, plaintiffs in the case of Huffman et al. v. CommScope, Inc. of North Carolina et al. claim that besides the affected customers, the company also failed to protect its employees from the data breach. The class action suit also claims that the exposed pieces of data included social
security numbers, protected health information, and financial account data. In addition, the suit claims that the company delayed notifying victims of the breach that hackers had gained access to personal identification information.The lawsuit also indicates that data breaches have become commonplace in America, citing a warning from the FBI that “the increasing sophistication of cybercriminals will no doubt lead to an escalation in cybercrime,” which the lawsuit used to argue that CommScope neglected to protect the data it collected from customers.
The settlement entitles members of the class action lawsuit to three years
of credit monitoring, compensation not to exceed $10,000 for economic losses, and compensation for up to six hours of lost time paid at $25 an hour, or $150. Instead of these benefits, those impacted can receive a flat rate of $100. The deadline to apply for these benefits is June 19, 2024. A final CommScope class action settlement hearing is scheduled for June 24, 2024.As with many class action claims, any claim for monetary compensation outside of the agreed-upon flat rate must be documented via receipts or other documents. According to the claim form,
“If you wish to receive Compensation for Unreimbursed Economic Losses, indicate the total dollar amount of losses incurred as a result of the Data Incident, attach/include supporting documentation such as receipts, sign, and return this Claim Form.”The form states, “You may claim up to $10,000. Unreimbursed Economic Losses include, but are not limited to, unreimbursed losses relating to fraud or identity theft; professional fees, including attorneys’ fees, accountant’s fees, and fees for credit repair services; costs associated with freezing or unfreezing credit with any credit reporting agency; credit monitoring costs that were incurred on or after the Data Incident through the date of claim submission; and miscellaneous expenses such as notary, fax, postage, copying, mileage, and long-distance telephone charges.”
The form also notes, “You must include documentation supporting your claim for Unreimbursed Economic Losses. This can include receipts or other documentation not ‘self-prepared.’ Self-prepared documents such as handwritten receipts are not sufficient to receive reimbursement, but they can be considered to add clarity to or support other submitted documentation.”