Welcome to the Settlement Website for the In re Carolina Arthritis Associates Data Incident Litigation Class Action Settlement
A Settlement has been reached with Carolina Arthritis Associates, P.A. ("CAA" or "Defendant") in a class action lawsuit. This case is about a cyberattack on CAA's computer systems that occurred in September 2024 (the "Data Incident"). Certain files that contained private information were accessed. These files may have contained personal information such as name; date of birth; Social Security number; diagnosis or clinical information; medical history; mental or physical condition information; prescription information; medical treatment or procedure information; health insurance information, and/or medical claim forms and information.
The lawsuit is called In re Carolina Arthritis Associates Data Incident Litigation, Case No. 25-CV002250-640. It is pending in the General Court of Justice, Superior Court Division, New Hanover County, North Carolina (the "Litigation"). CAA denies that it did anything wrong, and the Court has not decided who is right. The parties have agreed to settle the lawsuit (the "Settlement") to avoid the costs and risks, disruptions, and uncertainties of continuing the Litigation.
If CAA's records indicate that you are a Class Member, you are entitled to benefits under the Settlement. You may have received a previous notice directly from CAA.
Your rights are affected whether you act or don't act. Please read this website carefully and completely.
Summary Of Your Legal Rights And Options In This Settlement | Deadline | |
Submit A Claim | The only way to receive benefits from this Settlement is by submitting a valid and timely Claim Form. The fastest way to submit your Claim Form is online here. If you prefer, you can download the Claim Form here and mail it to the Settlement Administrator. . You may also click here to download a paper copy of the Claim Form. | February 23, 2026 |
Opt Out Of The Settlement | You can choose to opt out of the Settlement and receive no payment. This option allows you to sue, continue to sue, or be part of another lawsuit against the Defendants related to the legal claims resolved by this Settlement. You can hire your own lawyer at your own expense. | February 6, 2026 |
Object To The Settlement And/Or Attend A Hearing | If you do not opt out of the Settlement, you may object to it by writing to the Court about why you don’t like the Settlement. You may also ask the Court for permission to speak about your objection at the Final Approval Hearing. If you object, you may also file a claim for Settlement benefits. | February 6, 2026 |
Do Nothing | Unless you opt out of the Settlement, you are automatically part of the Settlement. If you do nothing, you will not receive benefits from this Settlement and you will give up the right to sue, continue to sue, or be part of another lawsuit against the Defendant related to the legal claims resolved by this Settlement. | No Deadline |
These rights and options—and the deadlines to exercise them—are explained further on the FAQs page.
The Court in charge of this case still has to decide whether to approve the Settlement.
Upcoming Important Dates
Notification Mailing
11/25/2025
Objection Deadline
2/6/2026
Opt Out Deadline
2/6/2026
Claim Deadline
2/23/2026
Final Approval Hearing
3/10/2026 at 10:00 a.m.