1 week Ago By Emma Crabtree
THOUSANDS of Americans are eligible for a payout of up to $401 from a multi-million dollar privacy settlement. Tech company ESO Solutions has reached an agreement in an ongoing lawsuit alleging that it breached privacy laws. A class-action lawsuit filed in Illinois claims the company providing software solutions for emergency medical services and healthcare organizations breached the state's Biometric Information Privacy Act.
It alleges that ESO collected fingerprints without informed consent or following the policies that dictate the laws surrounding the retention and destruction of this data. These fingerprints were allegedly "required" by individuals employed by ESO customers who used the tech company's "timekeeping device" known as the ePro Bioclock to clock in and out of work. The lawsuit claims the company failed to provide notice of the data collection or enforce safeguards to prevent the data from being collected illegally.
read more on payouts ESO has denied any wrongdoing but has agreed to pay a $4.1 million settlement to bring an end to litigation. Anyone who scanned their finger for an ePro BioClock in Illinois and whose data was hosted on a server ESO Solutions owned or leased between January 24, 2017, and September 10, 2024, is eligible.
COMPENSATION According to the preliminary approval notice, 6,414 Americans will be able to receive a payout. These would all be equal payments of approximately $401. Most read in Money If, after all of these payments there are still funds in the settlement fund, there will be a second round of checks issued to claimants.
Class members could then receive checks of at least $5 but this will depend on the number of claimants and the amount left in the fund. If there is not enough money for a second round of payouts, the cash will be donated to the Electronic Privacy Information Center and Illinois Heart Rescue. No claim form has to be submitted to receive the cash but action will have to be taken if eligible class members wish to exclude themselves or object to the terms of the settlement.
The deadline for this is December 2, meaning class members have less than two weeks to do so. Exclusion from the settlement means class members can retain their legal right to bring legal action against ESO regarding the same issue in the future . However, they will not receive any payment from the current settlement.
Class action lawsuits offer groups of people, or 'classes,' a way to band together in court. These suits are often brought by one or a few people who allege a company or other entity has wronged a large group of people. When a suit becomes a class action, it extends to all "class members," or people who may have similar complaints to those who filed the suit.
Companies often settle class actions - offering payment to class members who typically waive their right to pursue further legal action by accepting money. These payout agreements frequently include statements by the defendant denying wrongdoing. Companies tend to settle class actions to avoid the costs of further litigation.
Pollution, discrimination, or false advertising are a few examples of what can land a class action on a company's doorstep. The final approval hearing is scheduled for January 14, 2025. This is where a judge will hear any objections to the terms of the settlement and will rule on the final agreement.
It is also where each class member will find out the payment they can each expect to receive. Meanwhile, The U.S.
Sun previously reported on how Americans can get up to $11,000 from a data breach settlement involving Ardagh Glass. The $2.75 million class action settlement claims Ardagh Glass failed to prevent a 2021 data breach.
Read More on The US Sun Ardagh Glass hasn’t admitted any wrongdoing but agreed to pay $2.75 million to resolve the class action lawsuit. The data breach allegedly affected more than 5,300 individuals.
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