The Largest Medical Record Hack Case Settled for $65 Million

Imagine being a patient receiving cancer treatment only to find out that intimate photos of yourself have been stolen by hackers. This nightmare became a reality for nearly 135,000 patients and employees of Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN), leading to a record-breaking $65 million settlement in a recent case.

Rouge Patient Nude Photos Exposed

The breach, which occurred in March 2023, exposed sensitive information such as addresses, email addresses, Social Security numbers, and even nude photos of patients. Shockingly, cancer patients undergoing treatment were unknowingly photographed in the nude, and these images were stored on LVHN’s network, only to be stolen by hackers later on.

This breach stands out as one of the largest healthcare data breaches involving ransomware, with the violation of patients’ privacy reaching unprecedented levels.

Record-High Settlement for a Hacking-Related Court Case

After years of legal battle, Saltz Mongeluzzi Bendesky announced a historic settlement with LVHN, now under the ownership of Jefferson Health, amounting to $65 million. This settlement is the highest ever recorded in a hacking-related court case.

Individual settlement class members are set to receive compensation ranging from $50 to $70,000, with those whose hacked nude photos were published online receiving the maximum amount. The final approval of the settlement is to be determined at a hearing scheduled by the Lackawanna County Court of Common Pleas on November 15.