Panda Express Data Breach Settlement Offers Up to $5,000 in Compensation
Panda Express Restaurant Group has agreed to a $2.45 million settlement following allegations that it failed to prevent a March 2023 data breach. The incident exposed sensitive information, including full names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers, of current and former employees and other individuals.
The settlement covers U.S. residents who received a breach notification. Those with documented financial losses such as credit monitoring costs or late fees can claim up to $5,000, while others may receive approximately $100. California claimants are eligible for an additional $125. All class members qualify for two years of three-bureau credit monitoring, including real-time alerts, dark web scanning, and public records monitoring.
Panda Express, which operates brands like Panda Inn, Hibachi San, and select Whataburger locations, denies wrongdoing but settled to avoid further litigation. The deadline to submit claims is April 10, 2026, with payments distributed after a final approval hearing on April 20, 2026. Those opting out of the settlement must do so by March 23, 2026. The remaining funds will cover legal fees and administrative costs.
Source: https://www.the-sun.com/money/15918002/panda-express-restaurant-group-data-breach-settlement/
Panda Express Restaurant Group TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/panda-restaurant-group
Hibachi San TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/elpx-restaurant-group
Panda Inn TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/panda-restaurant-group
"id": "panelp1770733073",
"linkid": "panda-restaurant-group, elpx-restaurant-group",
"type": "Breach",
"date": "3/2023",
"severity": "85",
"impact": "4",
"explanation": "Attack with significant impact with customers data leaks"{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': 'Current and former employees '
'and other individuals',
'industry': 'Food & Beverage',
'location': 'United States',
'name': 'Panda Express Restaurant Group',
'type': 'Restaurant Group'}],
'customer_advisories': 'Affected individuals eligible for compensation and '
'credit monitoring',
'data_breach': {'personally_identifiable_information': 'Yes',
'sensitivity_of_data': 'High (Personally Identifiable '
'Information)',
'type_of_data_compromised': ['Full names',
'Dates of birth',
'Social Security numbers']},
'date_detected': '2023-03',
'description': 'Panda Express Restaurant Group agreed to a $2.45 million '
'settlement following allegations that it failed to prevent a '
'March 2023 data breach. The incident exposed sensitive '
'information, including full names, dates of birth, and Social '
'Security numbers, of current and former employees and other '
'individuals.',
'impact': {'data_compromised': 'Full names, dates of birth, Social Security '
'numbers',
'financial_loss': '$2,450,000 (settlement amount)',
'identity_theft_risk': 'High (due to exposure of SSNs and PII)',
'legal_liabilities': 'Class-action settlement'},
'investigation_status': 'Settled',
'references': [{'source': 'Settlement Notice'}],
'regulatory_compliance': {'legal_actions': 'Class-action lawsuit'},
'response': {'communication_strategy': 'Breach notifications sent to affected '
'individuals',
'enhanced_monitoring': 'Two years of three-bureau credit '
'monitoring, real-time alerts, dark web '
'scanning, and public records monitoring'},
'title': 'Panda Express Data Breach Settlement',
'type': 'Data Breach'}