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Drug and Alcohol Treatment Services Data Breach

Posted on behalf of Arnold Law Firm in

NOTICE: If you received a NOTICE OF DATA BREACH letter from Drug and Alcohol Treatment Services, Inc., contact the Arnold Law Firm at (916) 777-7777 to discuss your legal options, or submit a confidential Case Evaluation form here.

​​​​​​​​On May 2, 2025, Drug and Alcohol Treatment Services, Inc. (“DATS”) reported a significant cybersecurity incident to the Attorney General’s Office of Maine. The incident involved unauthorized access to DATS’s computer network (the “Data Breach”) that occurred between October 5, 2025, and October 6, 2025, and was discovered on October 6, 2025. A subsequent investigation concluded that sensitive personal information had been compromised. Approximately 22,215 individuals have been impacted.  Recently, DATS began sending data breach notification letters to individuals affected by the Data Breach. If you received a data breach notification letter from DATS, it indicates that your information was affected by the Data Breach​. Each notification letter includes an offer for a year’s complimentary membership to CyberScout single bureau credit monitoring.  Founded in 1977, DATS is a private, 501(c)(3) non-profit agency that provides comprehensive outpatient treatment services to victims of substance abuse disorders. Based in Scranton, Pennsylvania, DATS is the state-designated provider for drug and alcohol counseling covering all of Lackawanna County and is one of the largest outpatient services providers in Pennsylvania. DATS employs around 30 individuals and serves an average monthly caseload of 700 patients. 

WHAT INFORMATION IS INVOLVED IN THE DRUG AND ALCOHOL TREATMENT SERVICES DATA BREACH?

While the information impacted varies depending on the individual, the type of information potentially exposed includes:
  • Full names.
  • Addresses,
  • Dates of birth,
  • Social Security numbers,
  • Health insurance information,
  • Patient account numbers, 
  • Medication information,
  • Diagnosis and treatment information,
  • Doctor names,
  • Medical claims and billing information.
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. Healthcare 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 Drug and Alcohol Treatment Services, Inc., 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.