Who is included in the settlement?
- You must live in the United States and have had your Private Information affected by the Brockton Data Incident around November 2024. People who received notice of the incident are included.
- The Defendant, the assigned judges and their staff and families, and certain people found criminally responsible for causing or helping cause the incident are excluded.
What benefits can I choose from?
- You can choose either of these monetary options:
- • Reimbursement for qualifying documented losses, plus Lost Time if claimed; or
- • An Alternative Cash Payment of up to $50.
- Credit monitoring is offered in addition to either monetary choice. You cannot claim both the documented-loss option and the Alternative Cash Payment.
What are the rules for claiming documented losses?
- You may seek reimbursement for up to $2,500 in qualifying unreimbursed monetary losses actually incurred because of the incident between November 1, 2024 and December 8, 2026.
- The loss must still be unreimbursed, have been denied by the other potential payer, and not be part of a pending reimbursement request. You cannot recover the same loss twice.
- You need third-party records, such as receipts or other documents that were not prepared by you. A handwritten receipt by itself is not enough.
Can I be paid for time spent dealing with the incident?
- You can request payment for up to three hours spent responding to the Data Incident, at $30 per hour. That is up to $90.
- Lost Time is part of, not added to, the $2,500 cap for the documented-loss option.
- You do not need supporting records for the time, but the Claim Form requires an attestation under penalty of perjury.
Do I need documents to request the Alternative Cash Payment?
- The Alternative Cash Payment is an alternative to the documented-loss and Lost Time option.
- A valid Claim Form is required, but no supporting documentation is required for this payment.
- The payment may be reduced below $50 if the available settlement funds are not enough to pay all valid claims.
What does the credit monitoring include?
- A valid claim can include an offer of three years of one-bureau credit monitoring and $1 million in identity-theft protection insurance, along with other features.
- After final approval, people with a valid credit-monitoring claim will receive an activation code and enrollment instructions.
Could my benefit be reduced?
- Brockton will pay up to $825,000, but that amount also covers notice and administration costs, any court-approved lawyers’ fees and costs, and service awards.
- The remaining money is allocated first to credit monitoring claims, then documented-loss claims, then Lost Time claims, and then Alternative Cash Payment claims.
- Benefits can be reduced proportionally so total payments do not exceed the settlement amount. The notice does not promise any particular payment amount.
How and when do I submit a claim?
- Submit a Claim Form online or mail it to the Settlement Administrator. Include any documents needed for the benefit you are requesting.
- Mailed forms must be postmarked by December 8, 2026. The notice also says Claim Forms must be submitted by that date.
- Mail forms to: Settlement Administrator - 83452, c/o Kroll Settlement Administration LLC, P.O. Box 225391, New York, NY 10150-5391.
What if I am filing for a minor or someone who has died?
- You must be an authorized representative, guardian, executor, administrator, or other legal representative.
- Include records showing your authority to act, such as a birth certificate, guardianship papers, power of attorney, or other applicable legal documents.
When will benefits be sent?
- Benefits are not due unless the Court finally approves the settlement and any appeals are resolved.
- The notice says payment will be made as soon as possible after those steps, but it does not give a payment date.
How do I object to the settlement?
- You may send a written objection if you are a Settlement Class Member. An objection can address the benefits, attorneys’ fees and costs, service awards, releases, or another aspect of the settlement.
- Your objection must include identifying and contact information, the case name and number, information showing you are a class member, your reasons, information about any lawyer representing you, whether you or your lawyer plan to appear at the hearing, and a signature.
- Mail it to both Settlement Class Counsel and Brockton’s counsel, postmarked no later than November 9, 2026. The notice lists the mailing addresses on pages 6 and 7.
What happens if I do nothing?
- If you do nothing, you will not receive settlement benefits.
- You will also give up the right to bring, continue, or participate in another lawsuit against the Defendant and Released Parties about the legal issues resolved by this settlement.
Other Important Dates
- Objection deadline: 2026-11-09
- Final approval hearing: The notice conflicts: January 12, 2026 on page 5 and January 12, 2027 at 2:00 p.m. ET on page 7.
- Hearing location: Plymouth County Superior Courthouse, 52 Obery St., Suite 2041, Plymouth, MA 02360 (page 7; confirm the date with the administrator)
Case Details
- Case name: Howard, et al. v. Brockton Neighborhood Health Center, Inc.
- Case number: 2483-cv-01076
- Court: Plymouth County Superior Court for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
- Administrator: Kroll Settlement Administration LLC
- Official Settlement Website: https://www.BNHDataSettlement.com
Sources
Official Settlement Website
Claim form, FAQ, deadlines, administrator information
Visit Site →Claim form, FAQ, deadlines, administrator information
Official Settlement Notice (PDF)
Court-approved notice describing eligibility and benefits
Open PDF →Court-approved notice describing eligibility and benefits