If you used LifeLabs for medical services on or before December 17th, 2019, you can now fill out a claim submission to receive up to $150 dollars as part of a class-action settlement. Applications can be filled out on a website set up by KPMG here, and the deadline is April 6th, 2024.
LifeLabs is a Canadian for-profit healthcare company. It provides a lot of testing services for Canadian doctors in Ontario, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan, whether they’re a family practice or working in a hospital. Its locations perform a wide variety of tests, from blood analysis to heart monitoring.
In December 2019, we learned that a cyberattack on LifeLabs affected the data of around 8.6 million customers. The data breach may have included patients’ names, addresses, emails, login information, dates of birth, health card numbers and test results.
A joint investigation was carried out by the privacy commissioners of Ontario and B.C. and concluded in June 2020. It found that LifeLabs failed to safeguard data adequately and violated privacy laws.
The commissioners reported that LifeLabs “collected more personal health information than was reasonably necessary.” It also “failed to take reasonable steps to protect the personal health information in its electronic systems” and “failed to have adequate information technology security policies in place.”
As a result, LifeLabs was ordered to implement new safety measures, comply with the law, and “improve its process for notifying individuals of the specific elements of their personal health information which were the subject of the breach.”
Less than a month after the public was informed of the attack, a class action lawsuit was filed against LifeLabs. It seeks up to $1.13 billion in damages and argues that LifeLabs’ cybersecurity measures were inadequate to protect the data. LifeLabs denied all allegations.
In October 2023, a Canada-wide settlement was approved by the court. LifeLabs will pay a guaranteed amount of $4.9 million to Canadians but must pay up to $9.8 million if there are enough valid claimants.
However, the legal fees for the suit will be deducted from the grand total (not your individual payout) first, which “equal 25% of the total settlement funds payable by LifeLabs, plus disbursements and taxes.”
Depending on the number of people who apply, it’s estimated that each valid claimant will receive between $50 and $150 dollars.
Image credit: Shutterstock
Source: LifeLabs, Waddell Phillips
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