How to find out if you're eligible for compensation in the Canada-wide LifeLabs settlement

Canadian LifeLabs customers who had their data breached in a 2019 cyberattack may be eligible for compensation after an Ontario court certified a class-action settlement in October.

In a notice issued by LifeLabs on Dec. 11, the company said Canadian residents who used its services on or before Dec. 17, 2019 may be eligible for compensation.

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The distribution of up to $9.8 million in settlements was approved by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in October as part of a class-action lawsuit on behalf of up to 8.6 million LifeLabs customers whose data had been possibly breached or stolen in a 2019 cyberattack.

The breach was first made public in a 2019 announcement by LifeLabs, but had been discovered months earlier, the company said at the time. LifeLabs confirmed it paid a ransom for the data, the amount of which was undisclosed.

Less than a month after news of the attack, a class action lawsuit was filed against the company claiming its cybersecurity measures were inadequate. LifeLabs denied all allegations.

In 2020, Ontario and B.C.'s privacy commissioners found that LifeLabs had broken privacy laws by failing to put sufficient safeguards in place on patient data. The commissioners' ordered LifeLabs to implement new safety measures and “improve its process for notifying individuals of the specific elements of their personal health information which were the subject of the breach.”

In August, LifeLabs announced a settlement had been proposed in the class action proceedings. Under the proposal(opens in a new tab), LifeLabs would "not admit ... any allegation of unlawful conduct" or liability.

HOW TO FIND OUT IF YOU’RE A LIFELABS CLASS-ACTION MEMBER

If you live in Canada and were a LifeLabs customer on or before Dec. 17, 2019, you will need to submit a claim to find out if you’re a verified class-action member.

A claims administrator assesses each claim for eligibility.

HOW LONG ARE CLAIMS BEING ACCEPTED?

You can submit a claim between now and April 6, 2024.

HOW DO I SUBMIT A CLAIM?

First, you must fill in a claim form. You will need a valid provincial health card number.

The form requires claimants to choose whether they would prefer payment by e-transfer or cheque.

Once a form is filled out, it can be submitted online at https://lifelabssettlement.kpmg.ca, emailed to [e-mail], or mailed to:

KPMG INC., a subsidiary of KPMG LLP

C/O LifeLabs Claims Administrator

600 boul. de Maisonneuve West, Suite 1500

Montréal, Québec,

H3A 0A3

HOW MUCH WILL BE PAID OUT IN COMPENSATION?

Each eligible claimant who submits a form on time will receive an estimated compensation of $50, up to a maximum of $150.

The company said the precise amount paid to each person will be determined based on the total number of claims filed.

Compensation is subject to court-approved legal fees, disbursements and taxes.

WHEN WILL I BE PAID IF ELIGIBLE?

Payments will be made after April 26, 2024 to those verified as class members. 

With files from CTV News' Michael Lee.