TriHealth H Data Breach

Posted on behalf of Arnold Law Firm in

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

On November 14, 2024, TriHealth H, LLC d/b/a TriHealth Physician Partners (“TriHealth”) reported a significant cybersecurity incident to the Department of Health & Human Services (“HHS”) Office of Civil Rights. According to its report, TriHealth detected suspicious activity on October 23, 2024. A subsequent investigation confirmed that an unauthorized third party had accessed and acquired electronic documents from TriHealth’s network related to its For Women practice, a previously independent OB/GYN group.  Recently, on or about November 14, 2024, TriHealth began sending data breach notification letters to those affected by the Data Breach. Included in its data breach notification letters is an offer of complimentary credit monitoring and identity theft protection services for impacted individuals.  According to TriHealth’s report, approximately 27,426 individuals were impacted by the Data Breach. As the announcement was made only recently, TriHealth has not yet disclosed additional details. If you received a data breach notification letter from TriHealth it indicates that you were affected by the Data Breach.  Founded in 1995, TriHealth is a medical group that provides a wide array of services including internal and family medicine, cardiovascular care, women’s services, and mental health. With more than 12,000 employees, TriHealth generates approximately $2.5 billion in annual revenue. 

WHAT INFORMATION IS INVOLVED IN THE TRIHEALTH H DATA BREACH?

The type of compromised information varied among individuals and potentially included:
  • Name
  • Address
  • Date of Birth
  • Social Security numbers 
  • Claims Information 
  • Clinical Information, including: 
    • Medical Conditions 
    • Prescription Information
    • Lab Results
    • Other Treatment 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.  NOTICE: If you received a NOTICE OF DATA BREACH letter from TriHealth H, 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.