Keeping tabs on your financial information is one security concern that most people are well aware of. Over the holiday season, some shoppers became the victims of a data breach while shopping at Target. Customers in several states, including Oregon, have opted to pursue legal action in federal court against the retailer.
Target is facing at least two dozen lawsuits in regards to the data breach, which has affected approximately 40 million credit and debit cards. The would-be class action lawsuits claim that the retailer failed to protect the credit card data of its customers.
Some customers claim unauthorized ATM withdrawals have been posted to their accounts. Target says it has notified banks of the data breach. It claims to also have notified millions of customers who had an email address on file with the retailer.
The lawsuits that have been filed are the first step toward a class-action lawsuit, but a judge will have to certify that the plaintiffs constitute a class. This means the judge has to decide that the plaintiffs are typical of those in the class and whether they were similarly damaged. It will be up to judges to decide if these cases, as well as any others that might be filed, can be consolidated into an individual lawsuit.
If you have suffered any type of damages in this situation or a similar situation, you might have a claim to file in civil court. Contacting an experienced Oregon civil litigation attorney can help you to determine if you have a case that warrants a lawsuit. These professionals can also help you to determine the best course of action for your case.
Source: HartfordBusiness.com, “Lawsuits piling up on Target over hack” No author given, Dec. 24, 2013
