Highland Health Systems Data Breach Class Action Settlement
Highland Health Systems Data Breach Class Action Settlement
Highland Health Systems, a community mental health provider in Alabama, agreed to a $650,000 settlement to resolve a class action over a July 2023 cyberattack in which files containing names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, driver's license numbers, payment card and bank account information, and medical and health insurance information were accessed. Anyone in the United States whose information was exposed in the breach can claim an estimated $85 pro rata cash payment with no documentation or up to $5,000 for documented out-of-pocket losses, plus two years of CyEx Medical Shield Total identity monitoring with $1 million in medical identity theft insurance. Claims are due October 28, 2026.
Settlement fund
$650K
Common fund
Top payout
~$85
Pro rata cash, no proof, or up to $5,000 documented losses
Claim deadline
Oct 28, 2026
48 days remaining
You may be owed money
Filing is free and takes a few minutes. Deadline: Oct 28, 2026.
Do you qualify?
You are a Class Member if ALL of the following apply:
- You reside in the United States and your Private Information was exposed to unauthorized third parties as a result of the data breach Highland Health discovered on or about July 3, 2023.
- You are on Highland Health's list of affected individuals. Highland Health identified class members from its records and the Settlement Administrator mailed each of them a notice, so if you received a notice you are in the class.
- No documentation is needed for the estimated $85 pro rata cash payment or the two years of medical identity monitoring. Receipts or similar records are required only if you claim reimbursement for out-of-pocket losses (up to $5,000).
- Excluded: The Defendants, any entity in which they have a controlling interest, and Highland Health's officers, directors, legal representatives, successors, subsidiaries, and assigns; any judge or judicial officer presiding over the case, their staff, and immediate families; and anyone who submits a valid Opt-Out Request by September 28, 2026.
Not sure if you qualify? Call the Settlement Administrator toll-free, 24/7, at 1-833-421-7352, email info@HighlandDataBreachSettlement.com, or visit HighlandDataBreachSettlement.com.
What happened
In July 2023, Highland Health Systems, which provides mental health, substance use, and developmental disability services in northeast Alabama, was the target of a cyberattack discovered on or about July 3, 2023. According to the lawsuit, the attackers accessed files containing patients' and others' Private Information, including full names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses and passwords, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, driver's license or state ID numbers, tax ID numbers, bank account and routing numbers, payment card numbers and PINs, and medical and health insurance information. Plaintiffs Sara Andrea Wyerman, as Personal Representative of the Estate of Sandra Weyerman, and Stefanie Blackwell filed this class action in the Circuit Court for Calhoun County, Alabama against Highland Health Systems and two of its executives, alleging they failed to adequately safeguard the data and to notify affected individuals in a timely manner.
The Defendants deny the allegations and deny any wrongdoing or liability. The Court has not decided whether the Plaintiffs or the Defendants are right. Both sides agreed to settle to avoid the cost and risk of a trial and to provide benefits to class members without further delay. The Court granted preliminary approval and will consider final approval of the settlement, together with Class Counsel's fee request and the service awards, at the November 30, 2026 hearing in Anniston.
How to file a claim
-
1. Confirm you are eligible
You qualify if you live in the United States and your Private Information was exposed in the July 2023 Highland Health cyberattack. Highland Health identified affected individuals from its records and the Settlement Administrator mailed notices to them, so if you received a notice letter or postcard you are a class member. If you were a Highland Health patient or employee around 2023 and are not sure, call the Settlement Administrator at 1-833-421-7352.
-
2. Choose your benefits
Every class member can enroll in two years of CyEx Medical Shield Total, which includes three-bureau credit monitoring, monitoring of health insurance ID, medical record number, and HSA activity, $1 million in medical identity theft insurance, and fraud resolution support. In addition, choose one of two cash options: reimbursement of up to $5,000 for documented out-of-pocket losses incurred between July 3, 2023 and October 28, 2026 (identity theft or fraud losses, credit monitoring or credit freeze fees, ID replacement costs, postage), with receipts or statements attached, or a one-time pro rata cash payment expected to be about $85 that requires no proof at all. The $85 figure will go up or down depending on how many valid claims are filed.
-
3. File online or by mail
Submit the Claim Form online at HighlandDataBreachSettlement.com/form/claim by October 28, 2026, or download the printable Claim Form from the Important Documents page and mail it with any supporting documents (postmarked by October 28, 2026) to: Highland Health Data Breach Settlement, c/o Settlement Administrator, P.O. Box 25226, Santa Ana, CA 92799-9958. The Long Form Notice and Settlement Agreement are posted at HighlandDataBreachSettlement.com.
-
4. Receive your payment
Payments are issued after the Court grants final approval at the November 30, 2026 Final Approval Hearing and any appeals are resolved, which can take a year or more. Cash is sent in the payment format you select on the Claim Form, and medical identity monitoring enrollment instructions follow the same schedule. No follow-up is required once your claim is submitted, but keep your contact information current with the Settlement Administrator.
Key dates
- Sep 28, 2026 Opt-out & objection deadline Soon
- Oct 28, 2026 Claim filing deadline Upcoming
- Nov 30, 2026 Final Fairness Hearing (2:00 p.m. CT, in person (Anniston, AL)) Upcoming
- TBD after final approval Payments issued to claimants Pending
The Final Approval Hearing is scheduled for November 30, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. Central in the courtroom of the Honorable Jennifer G. Weems, Circuit Court of Calhoun County, Alabama, Seventh Judicial Circuit, 25 W. 11th Street, Anniston, AL 36201. The date and time may change without further notice, so check HighlandDataBreachSettlement.com before traveling.
Where the money is going
This is a $650,000 common fund. Court-approved attorneys' fees, litigation costs, service awards, and settlement administration costs come out of the fund first, followed by documented loss claims and the cost of medical identity monitoring. Whatever remains is divided equally among claimants who chose the pro rata cash payment, so the estimated $85 figure rises or falls with the number of valid claims.
All amounts listed above are pending and subject to final court approval at the November 30, 2026 Final Approval Hearing. The Court may award less than the amounts requested. Documented losses and medical identity monitoring are paid before pro rata cash, and pro rata cash payments are adjusted up or down depending on the number of valid claims.
Common questions
How much money will I receive?
It depends on which cash option you choose and how many people file. The no-proof pro rata cash payment is expected to be about $85, but it is calculated by dividing what remains of the $650,000 fund, after fees, costs, service awards, administration, documented loss payments, and monitoring costs, by the number of valid pro rata claims, so it may be higher or lower. Alternatively, documented out-of-pocket losses are reimbursed up to $5,000 per person. Everyone can also enroll in two years of CyEx Medical Shield Total monitoring with $1 million in medical identity theft insurance regardless of which cash option they pick.
Do I need to submit proof of purchase?
Not for the basic benefits. The estimated $85 pro rata cash payment and the two years of medical identity monitoring require no documentation or explanation. Proof is required only if you claim reimbursement for documented losses (up to $5,000): attach receipts, bank or card statements, invoices, or similar records showing the expense and that it occurred between July 3, 2023 and October 28, 2026. A personal statement or affidavit alone does not count as documentation, though you can include one to explain your records. Losses already reimbursed by a bank, insurer, or other third party are not eligible.
What if I didn’t receive a notice?
The class is defined by whose information was exposed in the breach, and Highland Health identified those individuals from its records, so most class members received a mailed notice. If you did not receive one but were a Highland Health patient, client, or employee around 2023 and believe your information was involved, contact the Settlement Administrator at 1-833-421-7352 or info@HighlandDataBreachSettlement.com to ask whether you are on the class list before filing.
Does staying in the class affect my right to sue later?
Yes. Unless you mail a signed Opt-Out Request postmarked by September 28, 2026 to Highland Health Data Breach Settlement, ATTN: Exclusion Request, P.O. Box 25226, Santa Ana, CA 92799-9958, you remain in the Settlement Class and release Highland Health and the other Defendants from the claims relating to the July 2023 data breach described in Section IX of the Settlement Agreement. If you opt out, you receive no cash or monitoring but keep your right to sue Highland Health on your own. You may only opt yourself out, not anyone else.
When will payments be sent out?
The Court will hold the Final Approval Hearing on November 30, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. Central in Anniston, Alabama. Payments are distributed only after the Court grants final approval and any appeals are resolved; the Settlement Administrator has said it cannot predict whether appeals will be filed or how long they would take, and the process can take a year or more. Cash is sent in the payment method you select on the Claim Form, and monitoring enrollment instructions are sent on the same schedule.
Dapeer Law, P.A.
Consumer class action attorneys based in South Florida. We track settlements so you don’t have to.
Similar open settlements
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Dapeer Law, P.A. is not the administrator of this settlement and is not affiliated with Highland Health Systems, Mickey Turner, and Allen Stokes, Simpluris (the Settlement Administrator), or Class Counsel Jonathan S. Mann of Pittman, Dutton, Hellums, Bradley & Mann, P.C., Hirlye R. "Ryan" Lutz, III of Cory Watson, P.C., Kenneth Jay Grunfeld of Kopelowitz Ostrow P.A., and William B. Federman of Federman & Sherwood. The case is Weyerman, et al. v. Highland Health Systems, et al., Case No. 2024-CV-900370, pending in the Circuit Court for Calhoun County, Alabama before the Honorable Jennifer G. Weems. Class representatives are Sara Andrea Wyerman, as Personal Representative of the Estate of Sandra Weyerman and Stefanie Blackwell. Highland Health denies wrongdoing. This website is attorney advertising. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.