1. Why was a 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 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 Ramsey County District Court, Minnesota, authorized a 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 Dean, et al. v. New York Blood Center, Inc., et al., Case No. 62-CV-25-5975. It is pending in the Ramsey County District Court, Minnesota. The people that filed this lawsuit are called the “Plaintiffs” (or “Class Representatives”) and the companies they sued, New York Blood Center, Inc. and Memorial Blood Centers, are called the “Defendants.”
Back To Top
This lawsuit alleges that during the January 2025 targeted cyberattack on the Blood Centers' computer systems, certain files that contained private information were accessed. These files may have contained personal information such as names; dates of birth; gender; Social Security numbers; blood type; certain blood test results; financial information for direct deposit; and other sensitive information.
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 Representatives are Shanell Dean, Jackie De Leon-Wallin, and Allison Storchevoy. Everyone included in this Action are the Class Members.
Back To Top
The Court did not decide whether the Plaintiffs or the Defendants 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 Plaintiffs and their attorneys think the Settlement is best for all Class Members.
Back To Top
The court has defined the Class this way: “All persons residing in the United States who were sent notice that their Private Information was compromised in the Data Incident experienced by Defendants in January 2025.”
Back To Top
Yes. Excluded from the Class are: (1) all persons who are directors, officers, and agents of Defendants; (2) governmental entities; (3) all Settlement Class Members who timely and validly request exclusion from the Settlement Class; (4) any judges assigned to this case and their staff and immediate family; and (5) any other person found by a court of competent jurisdiction to be guilty under criminal law of initiating, causing, aiding or abetting the criminal activity occurrence of the Data Incident or who pleads nolo contendere to any such charge.
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:
Blood Centers Data Incident Settlement
c/o Settlement Administrator
P.O. Box 25226
Santa Ana, CA 92799-9958
(833) 417-4928
info@BloodCentersSettlement.com
You may also view the Settlement Agreement here.
Back To Top
The Blood Centers will establish a Settlement Fund of $500,000.00. The Settlement Fund will first be used to pay court-approved attorneys’ fees and costs, Service Award payments for the Plaintiffs, and the costs of administering the Settlement. The net remaining money will be used to pay for the benefits described below.
All Class Members can claim one year of medical data monitoring services and one of two cash payment options:
OPTION A: Cash Payment A – Documented Losses
| OR | OPTION B: Cash Payment B – Alternate Cash
|
Medical Data Monitoring. All Class Members are eligible to enroll in one year of CyEx Medical Shield Pro. This comprehensive service comes with $1 million of medical identity theft insurance, and includes monitoring for:
healthcare insurance ID exposure
Medical Record Number (MRN) exposure
Medical Record Number (MRN) exposure
If anything suspicious happens, you will be able to talk to a fraud resolution agent to help fix any problems.
Cash Payment A – Documented Losses. 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
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 January 26, 2025, and February 11, 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.
Cash Payment B – Alternate Cash. Instead of Cash Payment A, you may claim a one-time $20.00 payment. No documentation is needed to claim this payment. This amount may increase or decrease based on the amount of Valid Claims.
If there is not enough money in the Settlement Fund to pay all claims, everyone’s cash payments will be reduced pro rata. Cash payments may also be increased pro rata based on the number of claims made.
If you have questions about these benefits, you can ask for free help any time by contacting the Settlement Administrator at:
Blood Centers Data Incident Settlement
c/o Settlement Administrator
P.O. Box 25226
Santa Ana, CA 92799-9958
(833) 417-4928
info@BloodCentersSettlement.com
Back To Top
If you stay in the Class, you won’t be able to be part of any other lawsuit against the Blood Centers about the issues that this Settlement covers. The “Releases” section of the Settlement Agreement (Section XII) 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 here mail it to the Settlement Administrator at:
Blood Centers Data Incident Settlement
c/o Settlement Administrator
P.O. Box 25226
Santa Ana, CA 92799-9958
Back To Top
If you are submitting a Claim Form online, you must do so by February 11, 2026 by 11:59 p.m. CT. If you are submitting a claim by U.S. mail, the completed and signed Claim Form, including supporting documentation, must be postmarked no later than February 11, 2026.
Back To Top
The Court will hold a Final Approval Hearing on February 10, 2026 (see FAQ 18). The Final Approval Hearing may be held remotely. 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 attorneys Leanna A. Loginov of Shamis & Gentile, P.A.; Mariya Weekes of Milberg Coleman Bryson Phillips Grossman, PLLC; and Raina Borrelli of Strauss Borrelli 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 one-third of the $500,000.00 Settlement Fund as reasonable attorneys' fees (or up to $166,666.66), and up to $2,000.00 for reimbursement of litigation costs. This amount will be paid from the Settlement Fund.
Class Counsel will also ask for Service Award payments of $2,500.00 for each of the Class Representatives. Service Award payments will also be paid from the Settlement Fund.
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 the Blood Centers 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 January 12, 2026.
To be valid, your Request for Exclusion must have the following information:
your full name, mailing address, telephone number, and email address (if any);
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:
Blood Centers Data Incident Settlement
c/o Settlement Administrator
P.O. Box 25226
Santa Ana, CA 92799-9958
Your Request for Exclusion must be postmarked by January 12, 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 FAQ 15)
You must provide the following information for the Court to consider your objection:
the name of the Litigation: Dean, et al. v. New York Blood Center, Inc., et al., Case No. 62-CV-25-5975, pending in the Ramsey County District Court, Minnesota;
your full name, mailing address, telephone number, and email address (if any);
all grounds for the objection, accompanied by any legal support for the objection known to the objector or objector’s counsel;
the number of times the objector has objected to a class action settlement within the five years preceding the date that the objector files the objection, the caption of each case in which the objector has made such objection, and a copy of any orders related to or ruling upon the objector’s prior objections that were issued by the trial and appellate courts in each listed case;
the identity of all counsel who represent the objector, including any former or current counsel who may be entitled to compensation for any reason related to the objection to the Settlement and/or Application for Attorneys’ Fees, Costs, and Service Award, and whether they will appear at the Final Approval Hearing;
the number of times in which the objector’s counsel and/or counsel’s law firm have objected to a class action settlement within the five years preceding the date of the filed objection, the caption of each case in which counsel or the firm has made such objection and a copy of any orders related to or ruling upon counsel’s or the counsel’s law firm’s prior objections that were issued by the trial and appellate courts in each listed case in which the objector’s counsel and/or counsel’s law firm have objected to a class action settlement within the preceding five years;
a list of all persons who will be called to testify at the Final Approval Hearing in support of the objection (if any);
a statement confirming whether the objector intends to personally appear and/or testify at the Final Approval Hearing; and
the objector’s signature (an attorney’s signature is not sufficient)
For your objection to be valid, it must meet each of these requirements. Class Counsel and/or Defendants’ Counsel may conduct limited discovery on any objector or objector’s counsel, including taking depositions and propounding document requests.
To be considered by the Court, you must file your complete objection with the Clerk of Court by January 12, 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 |
Ramsey County Courthouse | Blood Centers Data Incident Settlement |
Class Counsel | Counsel for Defendants |
Mariya Weekes | Casie D. Collignon |
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 February 10, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. Central Time. The hearing may be held remotely.
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 Service Award payments to the Class Representatives. 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 FAQ 16).
The date and time of this hearing may change without further notice. Please check this Settlement 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 FAQ 8.
Back To Top
This website and the Notice is 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:
Blood Centers Data Incident Settlement
c/o Settlement Administrator
P.O. Box 25226
Santa Ana, CA 92799-9958
(833) 417-4928
info@BloodCentersSettlement.com
You can obtain copies of publicly filed documents by visiting the office of the Clerk of the Court.
Back To Top