Affiliated Dermatologists Reaches $1M Settlement Over 2024 Data Breach
Affiliated Dermatologists & Dermatologic Surgeons PA has agreed to a $1 million settlement to resolve a class action lawsuit stemming from a data breach discovered on March 5, 2024. The incident potentially exposed sensitive personal and medical information, including Social Security numbers, dates of birth, medical treatment details, health insurance claims, driver’s license numbers, and passport numbers.
Eligibility & Compensation
The settlement covers all U.S. individuals whose data was compromised in the breach. Affected parties may qualify for:
- Up to $5,000 in reimbursement for documented losses (e.g., bank fees, credit monitoring, identity theft insurance) with supporting evidence.
- A flat $40 payment for those without documented losses.
- Three years of free credit monitoring, automatically provided to all class members.
If total valid claims exceed $1 million, payments will be reduced proportionally.
Claim Process & Deadlines
Class members can file claims online or by mail, using a unique ID from their settlement notice. Those without a notice may contact the administrator at 1-877-734-7165. Payouts will be issued via Venmo, PayPal, Zelle, ACH, or check.
Key dates:
- Opt-out deadline: January 31, 2026
- Claim filing deadline: February 15, 2026
- Final approval hearing: March 2, 2026
- Payout date: April 16, 2026
Settlement Fund Allocation
The $1 million fund covers class member payments, while Affiliated Dermatologists will separately pay:
- Settlement administration costs (TBD)
- Attorneys’ fees and costs (up to $815,000)
- Service awards (up to $2,000 per class representative)
- Credit monitoring expenses (based on claims)
Background
The lawsuit alleged the company failed to adequately protect sensitive data. Affiliated Dermatologists denies wrongdoing, stating the settlement avoids further litigation costs while providing relief to affected individuals.
Source: https://www.claimdepot.com/settlements/affiliated-ddsdb-settlement
Affiliated Dermatology cybersecurity rating report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/affiliated-dermatology
"id": "AFF1767980672",
"linkid": "affiliated-dermatology",
"type": "Breach",
"date": "3/2024",
"severity": "85",
"impact": "4",
"explanation": "Attack with significant impact with customers data leaks"{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': 'All living individuals in the '
'United States whose private '
'information was potentially '
'compromised',
'industry': 'Healthcare',
'location': 'United States',
'name': 'Affiliated Dermatologists & Dermatologic '
'Surgeons PA',
'type': 'Healthcare Provider'}],
'customer_advisories': 'Settlement notices mailed to affected individuals '
'with instructions for claiming benefits',
'data_breach': {'personally_identifiable_information': 'Social Security '
'numbers, dates of '
'birth, driver’s '
'license numbers, '
'passport numbers',
'sensitivity_of_data': 'High',
'type_of_data_compromised': 'Personally Identifiable '
'Information (PII), Protected '
'Health Information (PHI)'},
'date_detected': '2024-03-05',
'description': 'Affiliated Dermatologists & Dermatologic Surgeons PA agreed '
'to pay $1,000,000 to resolve a class action lawsuit alleging '
'it failed to adequately protect sensitive personal '
'information, including Social Security numbers, dates of '
'birth, medical treatment details, health insurance claims, '
'driver’s license numbers, passport numbers and other '
'nonpublic personally identifiable or protected health '
'information.',
'impact': {'data_compromised': 'Social Security numbers, dates of birth, '
'medical treatment details, health insurance '
'claims, driver’s license numbers, passport '
'numbers, other nonpublic personally '
'identifiable or protected health information',
'financial_loss': '$1,000,000 (settlement fund)',
'identity_theft_risk': 'High',
'legal_liabilities': 'Class action lawsuit settlement'},
'investigation_status': 'Settled',
'references': [{'source': 'Class action settlement notice'}],
'regulatory_compliance': {'legal_actions': 'Class action lawsuit'},
'response': {'communication_strategy': 'Settlement notices mailed to affected '
'individuals'},
'title': 'Affiliated Dermatologists $1M Data Breach Settlement',
'type': 'Data Breach'}