A $20 million settlement has been approved by a federal judge to resolve lawsuits brought by US Veterans that were exposed to potential identity theft in 2006.
Numerous lawsuits were filed stemming from the loss of a laptop and external hard drive that contained thousands of pieces of sensitive personal information about the veterans, including social security numbers and birth dates.
The details of the settlement include payments of between $75 and $1,500 per veteran, for up to 26.5 million veterans who incurred out of pocket expenses resulting from credit monitoring, emotional distress or physical symptoms. A $5.5 million payment of lawyer's fees and costs will be made, and $1.4 million will be spent notifying the veterans of the settlement.
