Affiliated Dermatologists & Dermatologic Surgeons, P.A. Settlement Ends Class Action Lawsuit Over Months-Long Data Breach

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Affiliated Dermatologists & Dermatologic Surgeons, P.A. has agreed to settle a class action lawsuit alleging the New Jersey dermatology practice failed to implement proper cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive patient and employee information, leading to a months-long data breach between December 2023 and March 2024.

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The Affiliated Dermatologists & Dermatologic Surgeons, P.A. settlement received preliminary approval from the court on December 18, 2025 and covers individuals residing in the United States whose private information was compromised during the data breach.

The court-approved website for the Affiliated Dermatologists & Dermatologic Surgeons (DDS) data breach settlement can be found at AffiliatedDDSDBSettlement.com.

According to the website, Affiliated DDS settlement class members who submit a timely, valid claim form have multiple options for reimbursement.

Those who submit with their claim form documented proof of out-of-pocket expenses from the data breach are eligible to receive a one-time cash payment of up to $5,000, the site says, also referred to as Cash Payment A. Per the settlement agreement, documented losses must have been incurred as a result of the data breach. Reimbursable expenses include, but are not limited to, those related to identity theft, fraud and credit monitoring.

In lieu of a documented-loss payment, class members may instead elect to receive a one-time alternate cash payment of $40, the site reports, also referred to as Cash Payment B. The final amount of this payout may change and become pro-rated if the number of valid claims submitted exceeds an aggregate amount of $1,000,000, the settlement agreement notes.

In addition to either cash payment, all Affiliated DDS class members are automatically able to enroll in three free years of one-bureau credit monitoring, which includes identity theft insurance. Importantly, class members do not need to submit a claim to receive this benefit, as service activation codes have been provided to all class members on the settlement notice they received via email or to their residence.

To submit an Affiliated DDS settlement claim form online, class members can head to this page and enter the unique ID and PIN provided on their copy of the settlement notice. Alternatively, class members may download a PDF of the claim form from the settlement website to print, fill out, and return by mail to the address of the settlement administrator listed at the top of the document.

Consumers who believe they may be an Affiliated DDS class member but did not receive a notice should contact the settlement administrator to confirm their identity and obtain their login details.

All Affiliated DDS claim forms must be submitted online or by mail by February 15, 2026.

The court will determine whether to grant final approval to the Affiliated DDS data breach settlement at a hearing on March 2, 2026. Compensation will begin to be distributed to class members only after final approval is granted and any appeals are resolved.

The Affiliated Dermatologists & Dermatologic Surgeons, P.A. class action lawsuits, which were consolidated in September 2024, alleged that the New Jersey dermatology practice failed to effectively safeguard the sensitive employee and patient information stored on its network, which led to a targeted data breach occurring between December 19, 2023 and March 5, 2024 and affecting 373,630 individuals. Per court documents, the private information potentially accessed as a result of the cyberattack included names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, medical treatment information, health insurance information, driver’s license numbers and passport numbers.

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