1. Why was the Notice issued?
2. What is this lawsuit about?
3. What is a class action?
4. Why is there a settlement?
5. Who is included in the Settlement?
6. Are there exceptions to being included?
7. What does the Settlement provide?
8. What claims am I releasing if I stay in the Settlement Class?
9. How do I submit a claim for a Settlement benefit?
10. Are there any important Settlement payment deadlines?
11. When will the Settlement benefits be issued?
12. Do I have a lawyer in the case?
13. Should I get my own lawyer?
14. How will Class Counsel be paid?
15. How do I opt out of the Settlement?
16. How do I tell the Court if I like or do not like the Settlement?
17. What is the difference between objecting and excluding?
18. When is the Court’s Final Approval Hearing?
19. Do I have to come to the Final Approval Hearing?
20. What happens if I do nothing at all?
21. How do I get more information?
The Superior Court of Providence County, Rhode Island, authorized the Notice. You have a right to know about the proposed Settlement of this class action lawsuit, and about all of your options, before the Court decides whether to grant final approval of the Settlement. The Notice explains the lawsuit, your legal rights, what benefits are available, and who can receive them.
The lawsuit is called Perez v. Blackstone Valley Community Health Care, Inc., C.A. No. PC-2025-06050. It is pending in the Superior Court of Providence County, Rhode Island. The person that filed this lawsuit is called the “Plaintiff” (or “Class Representative”) and the company they sued, Blackstone Valley Community Health Care, Inc., is called the “Defendant.”
Back To Top
This lawsuit alleges that during the November 2023 targeted cyberattack on BVCHC's computer systems, certain files that contained private information were accessed. These files may have contained personal information such as names and Social Security numbers.
Back To Top
In a class action, one or more individuals sue on behalf of other people with similar claims. These individuals are called the “Plaintiffs” or “Class Representatives.” Together, the people included in the class action are called a “Class” or “Class Members.” One court resolves the lawsuit for all Class Members, except for those who opt out from the Settlement. In this Settlement, the Class Representative is Alba Peralta Perez. Everyone included in this Action are the Class Members.
Back To Top
The Court did not decide whether the Plaintiff or the Defendant are right. Both sides have agreed to a settlement to avoid the costs and risks of a trial, and to allow the Class Members to receive benefits from the Settlement. The Plaintiff and their attorney think the Settlement is best for all Class Members.
Back To Top
The Court has defined the Class this way: “All persons whose PII was potentially compromised in the Data Incident, including all individuals to whom Defendant sent an individual notification letter to regarding the Data Incident.” In this sentence, PII means Personally Identifiable Information.
Back To Top
Yes. Excluded from the Class are: (1) BVCHC and its officers, directors, and related companies; (2) governmental entities; and (3) the Judge in this case, and the Judge’s family and staff.
If you are not sure whether you are a Class Member, you can ask for free help any time by contacting the Settlement Administrator at:
BVCHC Data Incident Settlement
c/o Settlement Administrator
PO Box 25226
Santa Ana, CA 92799-9958
Email: info@BlackStoneValleySettlement.com
Call toll free, 24/7: (855) 256-5310
You may also view the Settlement Agreement here.
Back To Top
BVCHC has agreed to pay for a number of different benefits. All Settlement Class Members may claim Credit Monitoring and/or one or more of the cash payment options online here. The benefits are explained in more detail below.
Credit Monitoring. All Class Members are eligible to enroll in three years of CyEx Identity Defense Total. This comprehensive service comes with $1 million in identity theft insurance, and includes:
real time monitoring of your credit file
dark web scanning
comprehensive public records monitoring
If anything suspicious happens, you will be able to talk to a fraud resolution agent to help fix any problems.
Cash Payment Options
Reimbursement for Documented Ordinary Expenses (out-of-pocket losses). If you incurred actual, documented out-of-pocket expenses due to the Data Incident, you can get back up to $250.00. The losses must have occurred between November 11, 2023, and June 1, 2026. This benefit covers out-of-pocket expenses like:
fees for credit reports, credit monitoring, or freezing and unfreezing your credit
cost to replace your IDs
postage to contact banks by mail
You need to send proof, like receipts, to show how much you spent or lost. You can also send notes or papers you made yourself to explain or support other proof, but those notes or papers alone are not enough to make a valid claim. Your proof or notes should show that your expenses were because of the Data Incident.
You cannot claim a payment for expenses that have already been reimbursed by a third party.
Reimbursement for Documented Extraordinary Expenses (losses from identity theft or fraud). If you lost money because of identity theft or fraud, you can get back up to $2,500.00.
You will need to show that:
the theft or fraud was probably caused by the Data Incident
the losses are not already covered by Out-of-Pocket Expenses
you tried to prevent the loss or get your money back, such as by using insurance you already have
The losses must have occurred between November 11, 2023, and June 1, 2026.
You need to send proof, like receipts, to show how much you spent or lost. You can also send notes or papers you made yourself to explain or support other proof, but those notes or papers alone are not enough to make a valid claim. Your proof or notes should show that your expenses were because of the Data Incident.
You cannot claim a payment for expenses that have already been reimbursed by a third party.
Reimbursement for Lost Time. Class Members who spent time responding to the Data Incident may claim up to four hours, at $20.00 per hour, for a maximum of $80.00.
You must have spent the time on tasks related to the Data Incident. Some examples include things like:
changing your passwords
investigating suspicious activity in your accounts
researching the Data Incident
You must briefly describe how you spent this time.
There is a cap of $525,000.00 on these benefits. This means that if the total value of benefits claimed over $525,000.00, everyone’s payments will be reduced pro rata so that they add up to $525,000.00.
If you have questions about these benefits, you can ask for free help any time by contacting the Settlement Administrator at:
BVCHC Data Incident Settlement
c/o Settlement Administrator
PO Box 25226
Santa Ana, CA 92799-9958
Email: info@BlackStoneValleySettlement.com
Call toll free, 24/7: (855) 256-5310
Back To Top
If you stay in the Class, you won’t be able to be part of any other lawsuit against BVCHC about the issues that this Settlement covers. The “Releases” section of the Settlement Agreement (Section XI) describes the legal claims that you give up if you remain in the Class. The Settlement Agreement is available here.
Back To Top
The fastest way to submit your Claim Form is online here. If you prefer, you can download a printable Claim Form from here and mail it to the Settlement Administrator at:
BVCHC Data Incident Settlement
c/o Settlement Administrator
PO Box 25226
Santa Ana, CA 92799-9958
You may also contact the Settlement Administrator to request a Claim Form by telephone, toll free, (855) 256-5310, by email info@BlackStoneValleySettlement.com, or by U.S. mail at the address above.
Back To Top
If you are submitting a Claim Form online here, you must do so by June 1, 2026. You may also download a Claim form here and submit a claim by U.S. mail. The completed and signed Claim Form, including supporting documentation, must be postmarked no later than June 1, 2026.
Back To Top
The Court will hold a Final Approval Hearing on June 23, 2026 (see Question 18). If the Court approves the Settlement, there may be appeals. We do not know if appeals will be filed, or how long it will take to resolve them if they are filed.
Settlement payments will be distributed if the Court grants final approval, and after any appeals are resolved.
Back To Top
Yes, the Court has appointed attorney David Lietz, Esq. of Millberg PLLC, to represent you and other Class Members (“Class Counsel”).
Back To Top
You will not be charged for Class Counsel’s services. If you want your own lawyer, you may hire one at your expense.
Back To Top
Class Counsel will ask the Court to approve $175,000.00 as reasonable attorney's fees and costs of litigation. This amount will be paid by BVCHC.
Class Counsel will also ask for a Service Award Payment of $2,500.00 for the Class Representative. The Service Award Payment will also be paid by BVCHC.
Back To Top
If you do not want to be part of the Settlement, you must formally exclude yourself from the Settlement. This is called a Request for Exclusion, and is sometimes also called “opting out.” If you opt out, you will not receive Settlement benefits or payment. However, you will keep any rights you may have to sue BVCHC on your own about the legal issues in this case.
If you exclude yourself, you are telling the Court that you do not want to be part of the Settlement. You will not be eligible to receive any Settlement benefits if you exclude yourself. The deadline to exclude yourself from the Settlement is June 1, 2026.
To be valid, your Request for Exclusion must have the following information:
the name of the Litigation: Perez v. Blackstone Valley Community Health Care, Inc., C.A. No. PC-2025-06050, pending in the Superior Court of Providence County, Rhode Island;
your full name, mailing address, telephone number, and email address;
personal signature; and
the words "Request for Exclusion" or a clear and similar statement that you do not want to participate in the Settlement.
You may only exclude yourself—not any other person.
Mail your Request for Exclusion to the Settlement Administrator at:
BVCHC Data Incident Settlement
ATTN: Exclusion Request
PO Box 25226
Santa Ana, CA 92799-9958
Your Request for Exclusion must be submitted, postmarked, or emailed by June 1, 2026.
Back To Top
If you are a Class Member and do not like part or all of the Settlement, you can object to it. Objecting means telling the Court your reasons for why you think the Court should not approve the Settlement. The Court will consider your views.
You cannot object if you have excluded yourself from the Settlement (see Question 15)
You must provide the following information for the Court to consider your objection:
the name of the Litigation: Perez v. Blackstone Valley Community Health Care, Inc., C.A. No. PC-2025-06050, pending in the Superior Court of Providence County, Rhode Island;
your full name, mailing address, telephone number, and email address;
a clear description of all the reasons you object; include any legal support, such as documents, you may have for your objection;
if you or your lawyer have objected in any other cases in the past five years, list the names, courts, the orders ruling on your objections, and civil action numbers for each of those cases;
if you have hired your own lawyer to represent you for this objection, provide their name, bar number, and contact information;
if you plan on calling witnesses or submitting documents at the Final Approval Hearing, provide a full list of both;
whether or not you or your lawyer would like to speak at the Final Approval Hearing; and
your signature (if you have hired your own lawyer, their signature is not sufficient).
For your objection to be valid, it must meet each of these requirements.
To be considered by the Court, you must file your complete objection with the Clerk of Court by June 1, 2026. You must also send a copy of the objection to the Settlement Administrator, Class Counsel, and counsel for Defendants.
Clerk of the Court | Settlement Administrator |
Clerk of the Court | BVCHC Data Incident Settlement |
Class Counsel | Counsel for Defendants |
David Lietz | Daniel Mirarchi |
Back To Top
Objecting is telling the Court that you do not like something about the Settlement. You can object to the Settlement only if you do not exclude yourself from the Settlement. Excluding yourself from the Settlement is opting out and stating to the Court that you do not want to be part of the Settlement. If you opt out of the Settlement, you cannot object to it because the Settlement no longer affects you.
Back To Top
The Court will hold a final approval on June 23, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time, in Room Courtroom 15 of the Superior Court of Providence County, Rhode Island, at 250 Benefit St, Providence, RI 02903.
At the final approval hearing, the Court will decide whether to approve the Settlement. The Court will also decide how Class Counsel should be paid, and whether to award a Service Award Payment to the Class Representative. The Court will also consider any objections to the Settlement.
If you are a Class Member, you or your lawyer may ask permission to speak at the hearing at your own cost (see Question 16).
The date and time of this hearing may change without further notice. Please check this website for updates.
Back To Top
No. Class Counsel will answer any questions the Court may have. You may attend at your own expense if you wish, but you do not have to.
If you file an objection, you do not have to come to the Final Approval Hearing to talk about it; the Court will consider it as long as it was filed on time. You may also pay your own lawyer to attend, but you do not have to.
Back To Top
If you do nothing, you will not receive a benefit from this Settlement. You will also give up the rights described in Question 8.
Back To Top
This website and the Notice are a summary of the proposed Settlement. The full Settlement Agreement and other related documents are available on the Important Documents page
If you have additional questions, you can ask for free help any time by contacting the Settlement Administrator at:
BVCHC Data Incident Settlement
c/o Settlement Administrator
PO Box 25226
Santa Ana, CA 92799-9958
Email: info@BlackStoneValleySettlement.com
Call toll free, 24/7: (855) 256-5310
You can obtain copies of publicly filed documents by visiting the office of the Clerk of the Court, 250 Benefit St, Providence, RI 02903
Do not contact the Court of Clerk of Court regarding this Settlement.
Back To Top