Legal Sharks: Data Breach Class Action Lawsuits Make the Lawyers (on both sides) Lots of Money and do Little for the Clients
Data breach class actions are a racket. California is the epicenter of this plaintiff's legal fee bonanza. The passage and subsequent amendment to the CCPA fueled this legal juggernaut. While the CCPA does provide greater protection for victims of data breaches, in reality it means consumer victims of data breaches really only get at most $750 while the lawyers make hundreds of thousands if not millions in fees. The way it works is enterprising plaintiffs' lawyers scour the internet daily searching for data breaches where consumer personally identifiable information (PII) is compromised. In the health care context, it is know as protected health information (PHI) Note: a favorite website of lawyers is the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) where massive health care breaches are announced as required by law, often months after they occur giving the victims little chance to mitigate their damages. If the breach is big enough and affects a California consumer
