Nationwide Sightcare $3,345,000 Data Incident Settlement

If your personally identifiable information was comprised in Nationwide Sightcare April 2021 data incident, you may be eligible to receive $50 or up to $5,400 from a class action settlement.

Nationwide Optometry, P.C., Nationwide Vision Center, LLC, and Sightcare, Inc. have agreed to pay $3,450,000 to settle the class action lawsuit. The settlement provides several benefits to eligible class members, including cash payments for documented and undocumented expenses, reimbursement for lost time, and 24 months of credit and identity theft monitoring services.

Can I Claim an Award?

If you reside in the United States and are a current or former patient, customer, employee, member, or covered dependent of Nationwide Optometry, P.C., Nationwide Vision Center, LLC, Sightcare, Inc., or any of their affiliated or related business entities, and your personal information was accessed, stolen, or compromised due to the data breach, you are eligible to claim an award.

To be more specific, the settlement includes all residents of the United States who fit the aforementioned criteria and whose personal information was compromised. This includes:

• Current or former patients
• Customers
• Employees
• Members
• Covered dependents

How Much Can I Get from the Settlement?

Class members can claim various awards under the settlement:

Settlement class members may submit a claim for either:

• Pro-Rata Cash Payment: This is estimated to be around $50, but the actual amount may vary based on the number and types of claims submitted and validated.
• Documented Ordinary Expense Reimbursement: Receive up to $300 for documented out-of-pocket expenses incurred due to the data breach. This includes:
• Costs and expenses spent addressing identity theft or fraud
• Preventative costs, such as purchasing credit monitoring or placing security freezes on credit reports
• Other documented expenses that were not reimbursed

• Documented Extraordinary Expense Reimbursement: Receive up to $5,000 for documented actual identity theft losses or other unreimbursed fraudulent charges resulting from the data breach.
• Lost-Time Reimbursement: Class members who spent time dealing with the repercussions of the data breach but do not have documentation can claim $25 per hour for up to 4 hours, totaling $100.
• Credit Monitoring Services: Receive 24 months of 3-bureau credit and identity theft monitoring, which includes:
• Real-time monitoring of the credit file at all three major credit bureaus
• Identity theft insurance of $1,000,000 with no deductible
• Access to fraud resolution agents to help resolve identity theft issues

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Is Proof Required to Claim the Reward?

Yes, proof is required to claim certain awards. For documented ordinary expense reimbursement, documented extraordinary expense reimbursement, and lost-time reimbursement, claimants must provide reasonable documentation to support their claims.

• Documented Ordinary Expense Reimbursement: Receipts or other documentation showing out-of-pocket expenses incurred due to the data breach.
• Documented Extraordinary Expense Reimbursement: Proof of actual identity theft losses or other unreimbursed fraudulent charges.
• Lost-Time Reimbursement: Documentation of time spent dealing with the repercussions of the data breach, if available.

How to Claim Your Award

To claim an award, you must complete and submit a claim form, including all required information and documents. You can file a claim online or by mail.

If you received a notice of the settlement in the mail, use the unique ID and PIN provided to submit your claim online. If you prefer to submit a paper claim form, print a copy, complete it, and mail it to the settlement administrator at the address provided.

$3,450,000 Settlement Fund Breakdown

The total settlement amount is $3,450,000. This amount includes all payments for settlement relief, settlement notice and administration costs, attorneys’ fees and expenses, and service awards.

Class counsel will request up to one-third (33.3%) of the settlement fund for attorneys’ fees, in addition to seeking reasonable costs and expenses. The settlement class representatives will also ask for a service award of up to $3,500 each.

Important Dates

• Deadline to File a Claim: September 23, 2024
• Deadline to Exclude Yourself from the Settlement: August 23, 2024
• Deadline to Object to the Settlement: August 23, 2024
• Final Approval Hearing: October 15, 2024

Why is There a Class Action Settlement?

The class action settlement was reached to resolve claims that Nationwide Sightcare was responsible for a data breach that compromised the personal information of many individuals. The lawsuit alleged negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of implied contract, unjust enrichment, and violations of the Arizona Consumer Fraud Act and the Oklahoma Consumer Protection Act.

By agreeing to settle, both sides avoid the cost and risk of a trial, and eligible class members can receive compensation for their losses. The court will hold a final approval hearing to determine if the settlement is fair, reasonable, and adequate.