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Washington State Department of Labor & Industries Data Breach

Posted on behalf of Arnold Law Firm in
NOTICE: If you received a DATA BREACH NOTIFICATION or are a past or current employee or dependent of an employee of Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (“DOLI”) contact the Arnold Law Firm at (916) 777-7777 to discuss your legal options, or submit a confidential Case Evaluation form here.
On the morning of Monday March 28, 2022, the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries discovered a break-in and burglary had occurred at a DOLI office in Tukwila over the preceding weekend.  Among the items stolen from the DOLI office were several hard drives from a server room, which DOLI has since determined included personal information for current and former DOLI employees, their dependents, and other individuals who have had business with DOLI over the last several years. The sensitive information included, among other things, Social Security numbers and health records. The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries is the state government agency responsible for the safety, health, and security of over 3.3 million workers in the state of Washington, including administering the state’s workers’ compensation system, providing rules and enforcement programs, and regulating building practices.  Washington State DOLI employs approximately 2,800 people.  As of April 28, 2022, Washington State DOLI has stated that it does not know how many individuals have been affected by this breach.  If you received a data breach notification from DOLI, are a past or current employee of DOLI, are a dependent of a past or current employee of DOLI, or have done business with the Tukwila regional office of DOLI over the past several years, you may have been impacted by the breach.

What Information is Involved?

According to DOLI, individuals that are impacted by the breach include: past and current employees, dependents of past and current employees, and individuals who have had business with the Tukwila regional office of DOLI “in recent years.” The following sensitive personal information is included in the data breach:
  • Social Security Numbers
  • Driver’s license or state-issued identification number
  • Student, military, or passport identification number
  • Financial account numbers
  • Payment card numbers
  • Dates of Birth
  • Username or email addresses and passwords
  • Medical or health insurance information
This information is called your Personally Identifiable Information (“PII”) and Protected Health Information (“PHI”). It tells others about you and is considered part of your identity and health history. 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, including health fraud.

NOTICE: If you received a DATA BREACH NOTIFICATION from Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (“DOLI”), or are a past or current employee, a dependent of a past or current employee, or have had business with the Tukwila regional office of DOLI in recent years 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.