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United Healthcare Data Breach

Posted on behalf of Arnold Law Firm in
 
NOTICE: If you received a NOTICE OF DATA BREACH letter from United Healthcare contact the Arnold Law Firm at 916-777-7777 to discuss your legal options, or submit a confidential Case Evaluation form here.
United Healthcare Data BreachOn or about April 28, 2023, United Healthcare sent a Notice of Data Breach Letter (“Breach Letter”) via mail to victims of the United Healthcare data breach informing them that their personal information, Personally Identifiable Information (“PII”) and Protected Health Information (“PHI”), was obtained by hackers during a credential stuffing attack (“data breach”) that took place between February 19, 2023 and February 25, 2023. On April 28, 2023, United Healthcare stated that “suspicious activity” was noticed on the UHC mobile application “that may have led to the disclosure of member information.” United Healthcare conducted a review, and they determined that “the application was the target of a credential stuffing attack” and that they had found “no evidence that member login credentials used during the attack were accessed or obtained from any UnitedHealthcare system.” United Healthcare asserts it became aware of the data breach in or around April of 2023 and determined on April 10, 2023 that some member information was impacted. An investigation determined the data breach took place between February 19, 2023 and February 25, 2023. As a result of the data breach, hackers obtained from victims their first and last names, health insurance member identification numbers, dates of birth, addresses, dates of service, provider names, claim information, and group names and numbers. United Healthcare claims that the “incident did not involve the disclosure of Social Security numbers or driver’s license numbers.” United Healthcare is a large healthcare organization that provides many services including health insurance, health care, pharmacy, health technology, and health financial services. United Healthcare also provides various health benefit programs. United Healthcare is headquartered in Minnesota and employs roughly 142,000 clinicians, 50,000 customer service professionals, 36,000 technologists and more. United Healthcare boasts on its website that it provides healthcare services for roughly 151 million individuals. In 2022, United Healthcare generated roughly $324.2 billion dollars in revenue. Specific numbers are not yet known, but it is likely hundreds of thousands of people throughout California and possibly throughout the United States were exposed. If you received a Breach Letter from United Healthcare, then you were impacted by the data breach. United Healthcare has offered to victims of the data breach two years of free theft protection services as a precaution.

WHAT INFORMATION IS INVOLVED?

According to United Healthcare, the following information was exposed:
  • First and Last Name
  • Health Insurance Member Identification Number
  • Date of Birth
  • Address
  • Dates of Service
  • Provider Names
  • Claim Information
  • Group Name and Number
This information is called your Personally Identifiable Information (“PII”). It tells others about you and is considered part of your identity. Businesses are required to secure this information or risk facing statutory penalties, among other legal penalties. Stolen PII can be used by identity thieves to engage in fraudulent activity using your identity. Personal medical information (a specific type of PII) is referred to as Protected Health Information (“PHI”). It is protected under both state and federal law. Health care providers and other businesses who handle PHI are required to protect that information. Like stolen PII, stolen PHI can be used by identity thieves to engage in fraudulent activity using your identity. Quite often, PII and PHI are used in conjunction by hackers. The best way to protect yourself after a data breach is to sign up for credit and identity protection services as soon as possible. California offers extra protections and legal rights to its residents through the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”).

NOTICE: If you received a NOTICE OF DATA BREACH letter from United Healthcare, contact the Arnold Law Firm at 916-777-7777 to discuss your legal options, or submit a confidential Case Evaluation form here.

Settlement - $3,767,000

Truck Accident

A 20-year-old man who had been married for just 12 days left home on his way to work. He was driving on Pleasant Grove Road in Sutter County in the early morning when he came upon a slow-moving truck. As he pulled out to pass the truck, the truck driver turned left in front of him. The young man attempted to steer back into his lane but his vehicle struck an un-flagged piece of metal extending from the back of the truck. He died in the resulting crash.

Expert witnesses brought in by the Arnold Law Firm proved that the truck, owned and operated by a hauling firm, should never have been on the highway that morning. Specifically, the rear and side turn signals did not work and the rear-view mirror was in a poor state of adjustment at the time of the collision. As a result, the driver, who had failed to properly inspect the vehicle before setting out that morning, couldn’t see the young man’s vehicle as it attempted to pass.

The poor condition of the truck, its lack of maintenance and the manner in which it was operated were found to be substantial factors in causing the collision that killed the young man. The testimony also established that the man had been making a lawful pass at the lawful speed limit and acted reasonably when he attempted to avoid the collision.

The man’s 20-year-old widow was awarded $3,767,000.77, his parents were awarded $185,131 and the family was reimbursed $11,899 in funeral expenses. Though money is a poor substitute for a young man’s life, this verdict demonstrates that drivers who endanger the lives of others will be held accountable for their actions.