Settlements have been agreed to resolve class action complaints against Wayne Memorial Hospital in Georgia and Regional Urology in Louisiana stemming from breaches of patients’ personal and protected health information. Wayne Memorial Hospital Data Breach Settlement Wayne Memorial Hospital Auxiliary, Inc. d/b/a Wayne Memorial Hospital, a Georgia healthcare provider, has agreed to settle a class action lawsuit over a 2024 data breach.
Wayne Memorial Hospital identified a cybersecurity incident on or around June 3, 2024. The forensic investigation determined that an unauthorized third party had access to its network between May 30, 2024, and June 3, 2024, and potentially obtained patients’ personal and protected health information. Notification letters were mailed to the affected individuals in late August 2025.
Multiple class action lawsuits were filed in response to the data breach, alleging that the hospital was at fault for the data breach, as insufficient measures had been implemented to protect against unauthorized access to systems containing patient information. The lawsuits were consolidated as they all made similar claims. The consolidated lawsuit – Bates v.
Wayne Memorial Hospital – is pending in the Superior Court of Wayne County, State of Georgia. The parties participated in mediation in May 2026 and reached agreement on the terms of a settlement that were acceptable to all parties. The settlement has now received preliminary approval from the court.
Wayne Memorial Hospital has agreed to pay attorneys’ fees and expenses, settlement administration costs, and service awards from the class representatives. Class members may submit a claim for reimbursement of documented, unreimbursed out-of-pocket expenses due to the data breach up to a maximum of $5,000 per class member. Alternatively, a claim may be submitted for a one-time, pro rata cash payment, estimated to be $25 per class member.
The cash payments may be adjusted depending on the number of valid claims received. The deadline to object to the settlement and opt out is November 7, 2026. Claims must be submitted by December 7, 2026.
The final fairness hearing has been scheduled for January 27, 2027. Get The FREE HIPAA Compliance Checklist Immediate Delivery of Checklist Link To Your Email Address Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form. Business Email * Name * First Last Number * Company Name * Get Free Checklist Please Enter Correct Email Address Your Privacy Respected HIPAA Journal Privacy Policy Regional Urology Data Breach Settlement Regional Urology, a private urology clinic in Northern Louisiana that operates under the name Ochsner LSU Health – Regional Urology, has agreed to settle class action litigation stemming from a data security incident first identified in October 2025.
Regional Urology was a victim of a targeted cyberattack that exposed patients’ personal and protected health information. Data compromised in the incident included names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, medical record numbers, and information related to the care provided. The first class action lawsuit was filed by plaintiff Cathy Cowden on October 17, 2025.
Three further class action lawsuits were filed over the data breach, which were consolidated as they made similar claims and had overlapping classes. The consolidated lawsuit – Clark, et al. , v.
Regional Urology, LLC, et al. – is pending in the District Court for the Parish of Caddo, Louisiana. The plaintiffs alleged that the data breach should have been prevented and was due to the failure to implement reasonable and appropriate cybersecurity measures.
The consolidated lawsuit asserted claims for negligence, breach of implied contract, unjust enrichment, breach of fiduciary duty, and declaratory judgment. The defendant denies all claims in the lawsuit, including fault, liability, and wrongdoing. The parties agreed to attend mediation, and the terms of a settlement were agreed.
The settlement has now been finalized and has received preliminary approval from the court. Under the terms of the settlement, class members may submit a claim for reimbursement of documented, unreimbursed out-of-pocket losses due to the data breach up to a maximum of $5,000 per class member. The expenses must have been incurred between October 5, 2025, and November 16, 2026.
In addition, a claim may be submitted for one year of medical data monitoring services. Individuals who do not submit a claim for losses and/or medical monitoring services may claim a one-time $40. 00 cash payment.
The deadline to object to the settlement and opt out is October 16, 2026. Claims must be submitted by November 16, 2026. The final fairness hearing has been scheduled for October 19, 2026.
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Originally published at hipaajournal.com
