Outcome: $350 Million Settlement
In re: T-Mobile Customer Data Security Breach Litigation, MDL No. 3019 (Master Case No. 4:21-MD-03019-BCW) in the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri
In the T-Mobile Customer Data Security Breach Litigation, Judge Brian C. Wimes from the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri, Western Division, granted final approval to a data breach class action settlement resolving claims against one of the largest telecom companies in the United States. This settlement, identified by CNET as the “second-largest data breach settlement in US history,” arose from a data security breach that exposed the personal information of a staggering 76.6 million T-Mobile customers in 2021.
Following this breach, consumers across the nation filed lawsuits against T-Mobile, ultimately leading to the consolidation under the In re: T-Mobile Customer Data Security Breach Litigation MDL. Acting on behalf of these affected individuals, Sabita J. Soneji was appointed to the Plaintiffs Executive Committee. The plaintiffs alleged claims of negligence, breach of confidence, invasion of privacy, breaches of express and implied contract, and unjust enrichment.
After engaging in mediation with T-Mobile, the plaintiffs successfully secured a settlement amounting to $350 million, alongside $2,500 service awards for the named plaintiffs. This settlement received final approval in June 2023 but is now on appeal to the Eighth Circuit.