Genetic testing company 23andMe and similar organizations have been providing customers with information about their genetic background for years. Obviously, sending your genetic material to a company requires a great deal of trust.
Unfortunately, for some customers, this trust has been broken. In 2023, a company called 23andMe suffered a data security incident that exposed the personal information of up to 6 million customers. This highly sensitive personal information included health, genetic, and racial information.
Some of this information has reportedly ended up on the dark web.
If you are one of the affected customers, you may be eligible for a sizable settlement.
23andMe class action lawsuit agreement
23andMe agrees to $30 million settlement to end class action lawsuit over data breach.
Affected customers may receive up to $10,000. (Additional benefits apply to residents of Alaska, California, Oregon, and Illinois.)
The settlement must still be fully approved before a claim can be made. The plaintiff is represented by Gayle M. Blatt of Casey Gerry Shenk Francavilla Blatt & Penfield LLP, Cari Campen Laufenberg of Keller Rohrback LLP, and Norman E. Siegel of Stueve Siegel. Hanson LLP.
Please check back here when a link becomes available.
How does a class action lawsuit work?
Class action law has evolved over the past several decades. However, the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure have a specific rule binding class actions, known as Rule 23. The Legal Information Institute explains what a court must find to approve a class action lawsuit.
- The class size is so large that it is impossible to participate in the activity.
- Class members’ claims share a common question of law or fact.
- The claims or defenses of a proposed class representative are typical of the claims or defenses of the rest of the class.
- The proposed class representation adequately protects the interests of the class as a whole.
Simply put, multiple plaintiffs must all have sufficiently similar claims, so that the judgment will have broadly the same impact on all class members. If so, the matter is before the court. Did all of these plaintiffs actually suffer similar harm from the defendants?
How long does a class action lawsuit take?
Once again the answer is: It depends.
In some cases, the answer comes within 10 minutes! The defendant may try to reach a settlement with the plaintiff and end the case before it even begins. This usually means payment. A settlement can typically take up to nine months or a year, according to Top Class Actions.
But once a class action lawsuit goes to trial, it can take several years, typically two to three years, according to the Cochran Firm.
