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SW Family Medicine Data Breach

Posted on behalf of Arnold Law Firm in

NOTICE: If you received a NOTICE OF DATA BREACH letter from South West Family Medicine Associates, contact the Arnold Law Firm at (916) 777-7777 to discuss your legal options, or submit a confidential Case Evaluation form here.

On November 7, 2024, South West Family Medicine Associates, PA (“SFMA”) reported a significant cybersecurity incident to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. On August 7, 2024, an unauthorized party accessed individuals’ private and sensitive personal information stored in SFMA’s system (the “Data Breach”). The Data Breach has impacted approximately 36,959 individuals. In November 2024, SFMA began sending data breach notification letters to those affected by the Data Breach. Each notification letter includes complimentary access to credit monitoring and identity restoration services. If you received a data breach notification letter from SFMA, it indicates that you were affected by the Data Breach.  SFMA is a healthcare provider located in Dallas, Texas. They offer comprehensive healthcare services designed to treat physical, emotional, and mental health holistically. SFMA serves approximately 20,000 patients annually, providing a wide range of services, including family medicine, internal medicine, endocrinology, bioidentical hormone replacement, acupuncture, herbal medicine, transgender care, HIV diagnosis and treatment, behavioral health services, life coaching, physical therapy, weight loss programs, and nutrition counseling.

WHAT INFORMATION IS INVOLVED IN THE SW FAMILY MEDICINE DATA BREACH?

The type of compromised information varied among individuals and potentially included:
  • Names and addresses
  • Social Security Numbers
  • Driver’s license numbers
  • Dates of birth
  • Medical history and medication information
  • Personal identification numbers
  • Passport numbers
  • Mother’s maiden names
  • Identity protection personal identification numbers
  • Health insurance 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 South West Family Medicine Associates, 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.