If you were affected, free legal review is available — no obligation.
Learn how to participate in the class action and what compensation you may be entitled to.
Join the Class Action →Use our verification tool to confirm your letter matches this official AG filing.
Verify My Notice LetterThis case file references a public filing made with the state filing in IN. This website is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by any state government agency.
4University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System was the subject of a data breach notification filed with the IN Attorney General. The AG filing was recorded on February 12, 2026. The breach or discovery date reported in the filing is September 4, 2024.
From the AG filing description
Operating as a prominent academic medical center and healthcare provider, the University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System, frequently referenced in administrative and regional records in connection with cross-border operations, delivers comprehensive clinical care, specialized medical services, and extensive research programs. Because healthcare institutions function at the intersection of patient care, medical billing, and insurance coordination, they routinely collect, process, and store vast quantities of exceptionally sensitive information. This includes not only detailed electronic health records and clinical history, but also foundational personally identifiable information necessary for patient registration, insurance verification, and billing administration across multiple state jurisdictions. In 2026, the organization reported a significant cybersecurity incident to the Indiana Attorney General, highlighting the pervasive vulnerabilities facing major healthcare networks. In the modern threat landscape, breaches involving healthcare providers typically stem from sophisticated cyberattacks such as ransomware deployments, unauthorized intrusions into legacy database systems, or compromises of third-party vendors and business associates that supply software and IT infrastructure to the medical sector. These incidents frequently exploit perimeter defenses, lateral network movements, or administrative misconfigurations, allowing unauthorized actors to dwell within networks and exfiltrate extensive troves of confidential files before detection occurs. The exposure of medical and personal data in a healthcare breach presents severe, long-term risks to affected individuals. The compromise of protected health information (PHI) alongside core identifiers like Social Security numbers and dates of birth creates immediate vulnerabilities for medical identity theft—where unauthorized parties obtain healthcare services or prescription medications under a victim's name, potentially corrupting their official medical history. Furthermore, the combination of financial data, insurance identifiers, and personal demographics lays the groundwork for traditional financial fraud, unauthorized credit applications, and targeted phishing schemes that exploit the inherent trust patients place in their medical providers. Under federal and state legal frameworks, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and applicable state data protection statutes, healthcare entities like the University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System are bound by strict legal duties to safeguard patient data. These regulations mandate the implementation of rigorous administrative, physical, and technical safeguards, such as end-to-end encryption, multi-factor authentication, continuous network monitoring, and routine security audits. The occurrence of a data breach of this magnitude serves as strong prima facie evidence of a potential failure to maintain these required security standards, raising serious questions about whether the institution fulfilled its legal obligations to protect confidential records. Receiving an official data breach notification letter from the organization is a formal admission that your sensitive personal and medical information was compromised due to inadequate security measures. Legally, this notification establishes the necessary standing for affected individuals to participate in class action litigation aimed at holding the institution accountable for failing to protect their data. Crucially, under modern data breach jurisprudence, victims do not need to prove that they have already suffered actual financial loss or identity theft to pursue a claim; the increased risk of future harm and the loss of privacy are sufficient. Our firm evaluates these cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay nothing out of pocket and owe no legal fees unless we successfully recover compensation on your behalf.
Under the Indiana data breach notification law, you may have a legal claim against 4University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System if any of the following apply:
Based on the data types reported in this filing:
Your SSN is the master key to your identity. Once exposed, criminals can open new lines of credit, take out loans, or file taxes in your name.
Combined with a name and other leaked data, date of birth helps criminals pass identity verification questions at banks and government agencies.
Common categories of compensation in data breach class actions
Courts recognize that the time spent monitoring accounts, placing credit freezes, and dealing with the aftermath of a breach has real economic value. This category of damages is recoverable even without direct financial loss.
Professional credit monitoring services cost $10–$40 per month. Identity theft restoration services, if needed, can cost hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars. Courts have awarded these costs as direct damages in SSN breach cases.
HIPAA violations carry civil penalties between $100 and $50,000 per violation. Where a healthcare organization's negligence led to the exposure of protected health information, class members may recover statutory damages in addition to actual losses.
Direct financial losses resulting from the breach — unauthorized charges, fraudulent transfers, or fees incurred through fraud — are recoverable as compensatory damages. Banks may reverse some charges; a class action recovers the remainder and associated costs.
Data breach victims regularly report anxiety, loss of sleep, and ongoing fear of identity theft. These non-economic harms are cognizable injuries in data breach litigation, particularly in cases involving SSN or medical record exposure.
Note: an attorney general breach filing does not by itself establish a settlement fund, a payment amount, or a claim deadline. If an official settlement notice is later issued, rely on that notice for payment details and deadlines.
No. Under Indiana data breach notification law and federal law, the unauthorized exposure of your personal data — regardless of whether it has been actively misused — can be sufficient grounds for a claim. The breach itself is the injury.
Nothing. The Law Office of David S. Harris handles data breach cases on contingency — you pay zero upfront and owe nothing unless compensation is recovered.
Immediately place a free credit freeze at all three bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion). A freeze blocks new accounts from being opened in your name. Then file a complaint with the FTC at IdentityTheft.gov and contact our office — SSN exposure is one of the most serious breach types.
If 4University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System is a covered healthcare entity or business associate under HIPAA, affected patients have additional rights — including the right to an HHS complaint. These HIPAA violations also strengthen civil damages claims. Consult an attorney to understand your full remedies.
Banks may reverse fraudulent charges, but they are not obligated to compensate you for time lost, stress, or indirect damages. A class action claim against the breached company can recover those additional categories of harm.
State statutes of limitations for data breach claims typically run 2–4 years from the date of the breach or its discovery. Because this breach was recently disclosed, the window is open — but acting early preserves your options and strengthens the case.
Accepting free credit monitoring from 4University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System does not waive your right to pursue legal action unless you signed a specific release waiving claims. In most cases, victims who accepted monitoring can still file.
Applicable State Law
This breach was reported under the Indiana data breach notification law, which mandates notification and establishes your right to seek damages.
4University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System breach?
Free case review · No fee unless you win