Security News > 2020 > February > Law Firms Race to File Phishing Breach Lawsuits

Several law firms are racing to be among the first to file class action lawsuits against PIH Health in the wake of the California-based regional healthcare network reporting last month that a 2019 phishing breach affected nearly 200,000 individuals.

Since Jan. 30, at least three law firms have issued public statements announcing they are "Investigating" the data breach reported on Jan. 10 by PIH Health and inviting victims of the incident to contact the firms with information about the impact.

As of Monday, law firms soliciting victims of the PIH Health data breach to contact their firms include KellerGrover LLP, Federman & Sherman and Abington Cole & Ellery.

Being first to file a potential class action lawsuit in the aftermath of a major health data breach is not a guaranteed advantage, says technology attorney Steven Teppler of the law firm Mandelbaum Salsburg P.C. "In the past, prevailing in a competition for leadership in a class action meant being first to file, particularly where, for example, a data breach affects victims nationwide," he says.

"When a breach does occur, it is essential that all steps of the HIPAA Breach Notification Rule and applicable state breach law be followed promptly. We do not know why PIH Health waited until 2020 to report a June 2019 breach to federal and California authorities, but that delay may have increased its liability and ultimate costs."

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https://www.inforisktoday.com/law-firms-race-to-file-phishing-breach-lawsuits-a-13707