Georgians affected by a 2021 ParkMobile data breach can claim up to $25 through a class action settlement in which the Atlanta-based parking payment company will pay up to $32.8 million.
ParkMobile denies allegations that it failed to implement adequate security measures for handling users’ personal information, including names, license plate numbers, email addresses, phone numbers, passwords, credit card information and home addresses.
A data breach in March 2021 affected 21 million customers nationwide, according to a handful of lawsuits filed against ParkMobile in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.
After fighting the cases for more than three years, the company agreed to resolve the claims against it through a settlement that’s now being publicly advertised.
Customers notified about the data breach have until Feb. 3 to object to the settlement or exclude themselves from it.
Those wishing to stake their claim for up to $25 in cash must do so by March 5. ParkMobile is setting aside $9 million for cash claims and the fees and costs awarded to the plaintiffs and their lawyers.
The attorneys representing the plaintiffs are seeking more than $7 million. Cash claims will be paid from the remainder of the $9 million on a proportional basis.
A federal judge is expected to consider final approval of the settlement at a hearing in Atlanta on March 13.
If the settlement is approved, customers who did not claim up to $25 or exclude themselves from the agreement will receive a $1 credit for use in the ParkMobile app within a year.
The settlement also includes $2.5 million for enhanced security measures implemented by ParkMobile and $300,000 for costs associated with administering the settlement.
“Plaintiffs and class counsel strongly believe that this settlement is fair, reasonable, and adequate, and represents an excellent result for the settlement class,” the plaintiffs said in their request for tentative approval of the agreement in early November.
The plaintiffs alleged that hackers had used their personal data to attempt to access accounts through websites and applications including PayPal, Comcast, Netflix and Venmo.
In a website set up for the settlement, ParkMobile denied all allegations associated with the data breach.
“The settlement is not an admission of wrongdoing or an indication that ParkMobile has violated any laws, but rather the resolution of disputed claims,” the company said.
On its website, ParkMobile says it is the leading provider of parking solutions in the U.S. The company launched in 2008. It operates in 42 states and the District of Columbia, case records show.
Several unrelated data breach lawsuits are pending in the Northern District of Georgia. They include claims against Ingo Money, an Alpharetta-based financial services company, and insurance services provider Overby-Seawell Co.
The court also handled data breach litigation against Equifax, which led to a settlement of up to $425 million. More than 147 million Americans were affected by Equifax’s 2017 data breach, which was the worst incident of its kind at the time.
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