The monthly average of class-action lawsuits filed over health data breaches has nearly doubled since 2022, Bloomberg Law reported Aug. 22.
The publication conducted an analysis of 557 complaints filed against companies in federal courts over the last five years, and found that companies affected by health data breaches over the last five years were also most frequently sued.
According to Bloomberg, more than 41 million people have had their health data exposed this year.
"Since healthcare entities are using technology in more ways, the number of breaches is going to potentially continue to rise," Kristyn Looney, associate general counsel for Indianapolis-based Indiana University Health, told the publication. "If breaches continue to increase, as long as attorneys continue to be successful in making claims, then litigation at least isn't likely to go down at all."
Attorneys told Bloomberg that the increase in lawsuits can be attributed to ransomware attacks, public notification rules and growing consumer awareness of privacy issues.