The proposed $950,000.00 settlement covers U.S. residents affected by the Peco Foods data breach of December 4, 2023. Claimants can receive up to $1,000.00 for documented losses, up to $5,000.00 for extraordinary losses, or a residual cash payment; claims are due November 9, 2026. The court has not yet approved it.
Benefit Summary
Eligible people affected by the Peco breach: Covered U.S. residents who submit valid claims for the benefits they qualify for. See the eligibility note about people who did not receive a notice.
These benefits can combine when their individual eligibility and claim requirements are met. Claim up to $1,000 for actual breach-related expenses incurred on or after December 4, 2023 that have not been repaid. Provide supporting records and certify the loss. Examples include eligible bank fees, credit-monitoring costs and postage. Claim up to $5,000 for documented, unreimbursed extraordinary losses caused by the breach on or after December 4, 2023. Fraud or identity-theft losses cannot duplicate another loss category. The notice requires reasonable efforts to avoid the loss or recover it, including available monitoring assistance and identity-theft insurance. Only people with valid documented extraordinary losses may also claim time: up to 10 hours at $40 an hour. Describe each task and its hours and certify the account. This payment counts within the $5,000 limit; it is not an extra $400 above that limit. Select the cash payment if you want a share of the remaining money. The notice describes up to $550, which may be less depending on claims and expenses. You can request it with qualifying loss benefits or on its own. Select three years of monitoring across all three credit bureaus. A claim is required. The notice permits a shorter term if monitoring alone would exhaust the money available after settlement expenses.
Approved legal fees, costs, administration and representative awards come from the $950,000 fund. Monitoring, eligible loss claims and available funds affect cash payments. The notice allows proportional adjustments and, if monitoring alone would exhaust the net fund, a shorter monitoring period.
Available Awards
Up to $1,000 ordinary losses + Up to $5,000 losses incl. time + Up to $550 cash; may be less
Who Is Included
The notice covers individual U.S. residents whose personal information was accessed or acquired in the December 2023 breach addressed by Peco's notices sent around July 24, 2024. Question 5 describes people who received written notice. The claim form and online portal instead describe compromised U.S. residents, including notice recipients. If your information was affected but you never received a notice, ask the administrator to confirm your status; these descriptions are not identical. Sources checked September 8, 2026: https://www.pecofoodsdatasettlement.com/ and https://pecofoodsdatasettlement.pnclassaction.com/ . The exclusions cover specified judges, court staff and immediate families; Peco officers, directors, members and shareholders; valid opt-outs and their successors or assigns; and people convicted of, or pleading no contest to, criminal involvement in the breach. See notice Question 5 for the complete definition.
- Proof required: Loss reimbursement requires supporting records and a signed statement that the loss is real and unreimbursed. A statement you wrote yourself can explain other records but is not enough on its own. Time compensation requires a valid documented extraordinary loss plus a description of tasks and hours. Cash and monitoring do not require loss receipts, but the claim form must be signed and the administrator may request more information.
Claim and Payment Information
- Claim method: Online or mail; confirm email instructions with the administrator
- Claim deadline: 2026-11-09
- Instructions: Select every benefit you qualify for on one signed claim form and include the required supporting records. Submit online by November 9, 2026; the portal specifies 11:59:59 p.m. Central. Or mail the form postmarked by November 9 to Peco Claims Administrator, P.O. Box 1828, Baton Rouge, LA 70821. The online portal asks for a Settlement Claim ID. The printable form also mentions email submission but gives no dedicated filing address; confirm that route before relying on it. Official form and portal checked September 8, 2026: https://www.pecofoodsdatasettlement.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Claim-Form.pdf and https://pecofoodsdatasettlement.pnclassaction.com/ .
Questions & Answers
Can I request more than one benefit?
Yes. The official claim form says you may request every benefit you qualify for. Cash and monitoring can accompany eligible ordinary and extraordinary losses. Each loss needs its own support, and the same loss cannot be counted in both categories.
The notice's opening summary is awkwardly worded; the detailed benefit section and form explain the available combination. Form checked September 8, 2026: https://www.pecofoodsdatasettlement.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Claim-Form.pdf .
Can I claim time without a documented financial loss?
No. You need a valid documented extraordinary-loss claim. You may then request up to 10 hours at $40 per hour for dealing with the breach. Describe each task and its hours and certify your account.
Time counts within the $5,000 extraordinary-loss limit. For example, $400 for approved time leaves at most $4,600 of that limit for other approved extraordinary losses.
Is the cash payment guaranteed to be $550?
No. It depends on money remaining after monitoring, approved loss claims and settlement expenses. The notice describes up to $550 and says the payment may be lower. Its fund provisions also allow proportional cash adjustments. Do not treat the headline amount as a promised check.
What records should I include for a loss claim?
Include documents such as receipts or statements showing the expense, amount and connection to the breach. The loss must be actual and unreimbursed. Sign the claim certification. Your own explanation can support other records but cannot replace them.
The administrator may request more information; failing to respond on time can invalidate a claim. Official form checked September 8, 2026: https://www.pecofoodsdatasettlement.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Claim-Form.pdf .
What if I never received a notice or cannot find my Claim ID?
The portal asks for a Settlement Claim ID; the printable form asks for it if known. Call 1-855-557-9411 or email [email protected] for help finding your ID or checking your status.
The notice describes recipients of Peco's breach letter. The form and portal describe compromised U.S. residents, including recipients. If you never got a letter, ask the administrator how those descriptions apply rather than assuming either inclusion or exclusion. Checked September 8, 2026: https://pecofoodsdatasettlement.pnclassaction.com/ and https://www.pecofoodsdatasettlement.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Claim-Form.pdf .
Can I send my claim by email?
The printable form mentions a November 9 deadline for online or email claims, but its filing instructions give a website and postal address without a dedicated email filing address. Confirm email submission with the administrator before relying on it. Online and postmarked mail are expressly described.
Form checked September 8, 2026: https://www.pecofoodsdatasettlement.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Claim-Form.pdf .
What does the credit monitoring include?
The form describes three years of monitoring at all three credit bureaus, dark-web scanning, public-record monitoring and help from fraud-resolution agents. Select it on your claim; enrollment is not automatic. The notice permits a shorter term if monitoring alone would exhaust the available net fund.
Features checked September 8, 2026 against the official form: https://www.pecofoodsdatasettlement.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Claim-Form.pdf .
How do I leave the settlement?
Mail an exclusion letter postmarked by October 12, 2026 to Peco Claims Administrator, Attn: Exclusion Request, P.O. Box 1828, Baton Rouge, LA 70821. Identify Ryan, et al. v. Peco Foods Inc., Case No. 63-CV-2025-900067; clearly request exclusion; and include your full name, address, phone number and original signature, or the original signature of a legally authorized representative.
Leaving means no settlement benefits and preserves your ability to pursue the covered claims separately. Do not submit a claim if you want to opt out. See notice Question 15.
How do I object without leaving?
File or submit a written objection to the Tuscaloosa County Circuit Clerk by October 12, 2026 and serve it at the same time on class counsel and Peco's counsel. Notice Question 16 lists the full contents and addresses, including membership proof, reasons, representation and attendance details, five years of prior settlement objections and signatures. Sending only a letter to the administrator does not complete those instructions.
An objection does not remove you from the class or replace a claim. If you submit both a valid exclusion and objection, the notice treats it as an exclusion.
When could payments arrive, and must I attend the hearing?
The hearing is scheduled for December 14, 2026 at 11 a.m. Central at the Tuscaloosa County Courthouse, 714 Greensboro Avenue, 2nd Floor, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, or remotely if ordered. Attendance is optional. Check for changes on the official site. Notice Questions 16 and 22 explain how an objector can request to speak.
Payment depends on approval, any appeals and claim processing. No definite distribution date is given.
What happens if I do nothing?
You receive no benefits. If the settlement becomes final and you have not opted out, you still give up the right to bring the covered data-breach claims against Peco and the other released parties.
Other Important Dates
- Exclusion deadline: 2026-10-12
- Objection deadline: 2026-10-12
- Final approval hearing: December 14, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. CT
- Hearing location: Tuscaloosa County Courthouse, 714 Greensboro Ave, 2nd Floor, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401, or by remote or virtual means as ordered by the Court
Case Details
- Total settlement fund: $950,000.00
- Case name: Ryan, et al., v. Peco Foods Inc.
- Case number: 63-CV-2025-900067
- Court: Circuit Court of Tuscaloosa County, Alabama
- Administrator: Eisner Advisory Group LLC
- Official Settlement Website: https://www.pecofoodsdatasettlement.com/
Sources
Claim form, FAQ, deadlines, administrator information
Court-approved notice describing eligibility and benefits