Regal Medical Group, Inc. Data Breach

Posted on behalf of Arnold Law Firm in
NOTICE: If you received a NOTICE OF DATA BREACH letter from Regal Medical Group, Inc., Lakeside Medical Organization, ADOC Medical Group, or Greater Covina Medical (collectively, “Regal”), contact the Arnold Law Firm at 916-777-7777 to discuss your legal options, or submit a confidential Case Evaluation form here.
Regal Medical Group data breach On or about February 1, 2023, Regal sent a Notice of Data Breach Letter (“Breach Letter”) to victims of the Regal data breach informing them that their personal information, Personally Identifiable Information (“PII”) and Protected Health Information (“PHI”), was obtained by hackers during a ransomware attack (“data breach”) that took place on December 1, 2022. On December 2, 2022, Regal states it “noticed difficulty in accessing some of our servers.” Regal conducted a review, and they determined “malware was detected on some of our servers, which we later learned resulted in the threat actor exfiltrating certain data from our systems.” Regal asserts it became aware of the data breach on December 8, 2022. An investigation determined the data breach took place on December 1, 2022. As a result of the data breach, hackers obtained from victims their name, Social Security number (for some victims), date of birth, address, diagnosis, treatment, laboratory test results, prescription data, radiology reports, health plan member number, and phone number. Regal Medical Group, Inc. is affiliated with Lakeside Medical Organization, ADOC Medical Group, and Greater Covina Medical. Regal is a regional medical network located throughout California and headquartered in Reseda, California (the Greater Los Angeles area). It employs 2,532 people. Although it is a non-profit, it generates $238 million a year in revenue. Specific numbers are not yet known, but it is likely tens of thousands of people throughout California (specifically in the Greater Los Angeles area) and possibly throughout the United States were exposed. If you received a Breach Letter from Regal, Lakeside Medical Organization, ADOC Medical Group, or Greater Covina Medical, then you were impacted by the data breach. Regal has offered to victims of the data breach one year of free credit monitoring from Norton LifeLock Defender Choice with an enrollment deadline of July 31, 2023.

WHAT INFORMATION IS INVOLVED?

According to Regal, the following information was exposed:
  • Name
  • Social Security number (for some victims)
  • Date of birth
  • Diagnosis and treatment
  • Laboratory test results
  • Prescription data
  • Radiology reports
  • Health plan number
  • Phone 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 Regal Medical Group, Inc., Lakeside Medical Organization, ADOC Medical Group, or  Greater Covina Medical (collectively, “Regal”), 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.