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Verify My Notice LetterThis case file references a public filing made with the state filing in TX. This website is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by any state government agency.
Cornwell Quality Tools was the subject of a data breach notification filed with the TX Attorney General. The AG filing was recorded on September 9, 2025. The breach or discovery date reported in the filing is December 12, 2024.
From the AG filing description
Cornwell Quality Tools is a prominent mobile tool dealer network and direct-sales distributor specializing in professional-grade mechanic tools, equipment, and shop supplies sold primarily to automotive technicians and repair facilities across the United States. Operating through a vast network of independent mobile franchisees as well as extensive corporate distribution and warehouse operations, the company functions as a critical supply chain partner for the automotive service industry. To facilitate nationwide sales, credit financing, mobile inventory tracking, and employee payroll, Cornwell Quality Tools collects, processes, and stores vast quantities of sensitive information. This includes comprehensive records on independent dealers, retail customers, credit applicants, and internal personnel, making the organization a substantial repository of personally identifiable information. In 2025, Cornwell Quality Tools reported a significant data security incident to the Office of the Attorney General of Texas, signaling a major compromise of their IT infrastructure. While details surrounding the exact intrusion vector continue to be evaluated through ongoing forensic investigations, incidents of this nature within the wholesale distribution and direct-sales sector typically involve sophisticated cyberattacks such as ransomware deployments, unauthorized network intrusions, or credential-harvesting exploits targeting legacy databases and enterprise resource planning systems. Once threat actors breach corporate perimeters, they often gain unrestricted access to internal file servers and backup archives containing decades of proprietary and personal data before detection occurs. The data compromised in the Cornwell Quality Tools breach encompasses a dangerous amalgamation of sensitive identifiers, including full names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, financial account and credit application details, and home addresses. The exposure of Social Security numbers and financial records creates immediate, severe risks of identity theft and financial fraud, as cybercriminals can weaponize these details to open unauthorized credit lines, execute fraudulent loans, or commit tax-related identity theft. Furthermore, for the independent distributors and employees whose professional banking and tax documents may have been stored within the corporate network, the breach opens the door to targeted spear-phishing campaigns and corporate account takeover. As a commercial enterprise operating in Texas, Cornwell Quality Tools had strict legal and statutory obligations under the Texas Identity Theft Enforcement and Protection Act, as well as overarching federal standards established by the Federal Trade Commission Act, to implement and maintain reasonable data security measures. These legal mandates require businesses that collect sensitive personal information to utilize robust encryption, multi-factor authentication, network segmentation, and continuous vulnerability monitoring to protect against unauthorized access. The occurrence of a successful breach of this magnitude strongly indicates potential systemic failures in administrative, physical, and technical safeguards, raising serious questions regarding whether the company fulfilled its legal duty to secure consumer and employee data. Receiving a data breach notification letter from Cornwell Quality Tools is a formal acknowledgment that your private information was compromised due to corporate security lapses. Legally, the receipt of this notice establishes the concrete injury and standing necessary to participate in a class action lawsuit aimed at holding the company accountable. Affected individuals are not required to demonstrate actual financial loss or out-of-pocket expenses to pursue legal claims for negligence, breach of implied contract, and statutory violations. Our law firm is currently investigating class action claims on behalf of all impacted individuals on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay absolutely nothing out of pocket and we only collect a fee if we successfully recover compensation on your behalf.
Under the Texas Identity Theft Enforcement and Protection Act, you may have a legal claim against Cornwell Quality Tools 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.
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 Texas Identity Theft Enforcement and Protection Act 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.
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.
Statutes of limitations for data breach claims vary by state but typically run 2–4 years. Depending on when you learned of the breach, you may still have time. Contact our office for a free eligibility review — there is no cost to find out.
Accepting free credit monitoring from Cornwell Quality Tools 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.
Not necessarily. Many data breach victims are never notified directly. If your personal information was held by Cornwell Quality Tools during the relevant period, you may still qualify even without receiving a letter. A free eligibility review can confirm your status.
Applicable State Law
This breach was reported under the Texas Identity Theft Enforcement and Protection Act, which mandates notification and establishes your right to seek damages.
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