Frequently Asked Questions

A Court authorized this Settlement Website because you have a right to know about the proposed Settlement of this class action and about all of your options before the Court decides whether to grant final approval of the Settlement. This Settlement Website explains the Litigation, your legal rights, what benefits are available, and who can receive them.

The Action is called Williamson, et al. v. Healthcare Services Group, Inc., Case No. 2:25-cv-04908-JDW pending in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The people who filed this Litigation are called the “Plaintiffs” and the company they sued, Healthcare Services Group, Inc. (“HCSG”), is called the “Defendant.”

On or around October 7, 2024, HCSG became aware of potential unauthorized access of certain Private Information on HCSG’s computer systems (the “Data Incident”). A subsequent investigation determined that the Data Incident potentially impacted certain personally identifiable information, including names, Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, state identification numbers, financial account details, full access credentials, and medical and health insurance information (“Private Information”). Beginning on August 25, 2025, HCSG began sending notice about the Data Incident to the impacted individuals. The Plaintiffs allege claims of negligence, breach of contract, unjust enrichment, and violations of the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act and Washington Consumer Protection Act, among others. The Defendant denies all of the Plaintiffs’ claims and maintains it did nothing wrong.

In a class action, one or more individuals sue on behalf of other people with similar claims.  These individuals who sure are known as "Class Representatives" or Plaintiffs.  Together, the people included in the class action are called a "Settlement Class" or "Settlement Class Members."  One court resolves the lawsuit for all Settlement Calss Members, except for those who exclude themselves (sometimes called, "opting out") from a settlement.  In this Settlement, the Class Representatives are Rebecca Richards, Harold Henderson, Stacey Petrollo, and Stanley Williamson.

The court has not decided in favor of the Plaintiffs or the Defendant.  The Defendant denied all claims and contends that it has not violated any laws.  The Plaintiffs and Defendant agreed to a Settlement to avoid the costs and risks of a trial, and through the Settlement, Settlement Class Members are eligible to claim benefits. The Plaintiffs and their attorneys, who also represent Settlement Class Members as "Class Counsel," believe the Settlement is in their best interest of all Settlement Class Members. 

The Settlement Class includes all living persons in the United States who were sent a notice from HCSG regarding potential impact from the Data Incident, or were otherwise determined to have potentially had their Private Information impacted by the Data Incident.

Yes. The Settlement Class specifically excludes Defendant HCSG, any entity in which it has a controlling interest, and HCSG’s officers, directors, legal representatives, successors, subsidiaries, and assigns. Also excluded from the Settlement Class are any judge, justice, or judicial officer presiding over this matter, members of their immediate families and their judicial staff, and all persons who validly exclude themselves from the Settlement Class.

Under the proposed Settlement, the Defendant will pay $3,000,000 into a Settlement Fund to resolve the Litigation. The Settlement Fund will provide benefits to Settlement Class Members including reimbursement of Documented Monetary Losses, Pro Rata Cash Payments, and three (3) years of Credit Monitoring, as well as Claims Administration Expenses and court-approved attorneys’ fees, costs, and expenses, and Service Awards.
 

Settlement Class Members may submit a Claim Form to receive reimbursement of up to $5,000 for Documented Monetary Losses reasonably related to the Data Incident and a Pro Rata Cash Payment, as described below. Settlement Class Members may also submit a claim for three (3) years of Credit Monitoring.
 

HCSG has also adopted certain information-security practice enhancements designed to further safeguard its systems.

Settlement Class Members may submit a claim for reimbursement of up to $5,000 for unreimbursed Documented Monetary Losses reasonably related to the Data Incident. Reasonable Documentation is required. Losses may include, but are not limited to:

• Out-of-pocket credit monitoring costs that were incurred on or after September 27, 2024, through the October 1, 2026; 

• Unreimbursed losses associated with actual fraud or identity theft; and 

• Unreimbursed bank fees, long-distance phone charges, postage, or mileage at the prevailing IRS business use mileage rate for the year incurred for local travel.
   

“Reasonable Documentation” means documentation supporting a claim for Documented Monetary Loss(es) including, but not limited to, credit card statements, bank statements, invoices, telephone records, screen shots, and receipts. Documented Monetary Losses cannot be documented solely by a personal certification, declaration, or affidavit from the claimant; a Class Member must provide supporting Reasonable Documentation.
 

If you do not submit Reasonable Documentation to support your claim for a Documented Monetary Losses or if your claim is rejected in whole by the Claims Administrator for any reason, and you fail to cure the deficiency, your claim will be rejected and treated as a claim for a Pro Rata Cash Payment. 
 

You may not be reimbursed for expenses if you have already been reimbursed for the same expenses by another source, including compensation provided in connection with the credit monitoring and identity theft protection product offered as part of the notice provided by HCSG or otherwise.

Payment amounts may be subject to adjustment based on the number and value of Valid Claims received (see Question 11.)

In addition to Documented Monetary Losses, you may submit claim for a Pro Rata Cash Payment. These pro rata (or proportional) payments will be calculated by evenly dividing the remaining balance of the Settlement Fund after payment of Claims Administration Expenses; court-approved Service Awards and attorneys’ fees, costs, and expenses; and Valid Claims for Documented Monetary Losses and Credit Monitoring. The calculation will be made after final approval of the Settlement. No documentation is required.

In addition to submitting a claim for a Documented Monetary Loss and/or a Pro Rata Cash Payment, you may claim three (3) years of one-bureau Credit Monitoring services, including dark web monitoring, identity theft insurance coverage for up to $1,000,000, and fully managed identity recovery services. If you submit a Valid Claim for Credit Monitoring, the activation code will be emailed to you after final approval of the Settlement. 

If the amount of Valid Claims exhausts the balance of the Settlement Fund after court-approved costs, fees, and awards have been deducted, the amounts of the Documented Monetary Loss may be reduced on a pro rata (or proportional) basis. For purposes of calculating any necessary pro rata decrease, the Claims Administrator will distribute the balance of the Settlement Fund first for payment of Valid Claims for Documented Monetary Loss, then for claims for Credit Monitoring, before making any Pro Rata Cash Payments. Any pro rata increases or decreases to payment amounts will be on an equal percentage basis. Payment calculations will be made after final approval of the Settlement.

Unless you opt out of the Settlement, you may not sue, continue to sue, or be part of any other lawsuit against the Defendant concerning any of the legal claims this Settlement resolves. The Releases section in the Settlement Agreement describes the legal claims that you give up if you remain in the Settlement Class. The Settlement Agreement is available on the Important Documents page at this Settlement Website.

To file a claim, you must submit a Claim Form, with any required Reasonable Documentation, by October 1, 2026. Claim Forms may be submitted online at this Settlement Website, or mailed postmarked by October 1, 2026 to the Claims Administrator at:

Williamson, et al. v. Healthcare Services Group, Inc.
c/o Kroll Settlement Administration
P.O. Box 225391
New York, NY 10150-5391

The short answer is – after the Settlement is “finally approved” and any challenges to that approval are finally resolved. The Court is scheduled to hold a Final Fairness Hearing on September 24, 2026, to decide whether to approve the Settlement, the attorneys’ fees, expenses, and costs for Class Counsel for representing the Settlement Class, and the Service Awards for the Class Representatives who brought this Litigation on behalf of the Settlement Class.

If the Court approves the Settlement, there may be appeals. It is always uncertain whether appeals will be filed and, if so, how long it will take to resolve them. Settlement Class Benefits will be distributed pursuant to the Settlement, if and when the Court grants final approval of the Settlement and after any appeals are resolved.

Yes, the Court appointed Andrew W. Ferich of Ahdoot & Wolfson, PC, Benjamin F. Johns of Shub Johns & Holbrook LLP, and Charles E. Schaffer of Levin Sedran & Berman, LLP to represent you and other members of the Settlement Class as Class Counsel. You will not be charged directly for these lawyers’ services; instead, they will receive compensation from the Settlement Fund, subject to Court approval. If you want to be represented by your own lawyer, you may hire one at your own expense.

It is not necessary to hire your own lawyer because Class Counsel works for you. If you want to be represented by your own lawyer, you may hire one at your own expense.

Class Counsel will ask the Court to approve attorneys’ fees up to one-third of the Settlement Fund ($1,000,000) plus reasonable out-of-pocket litigation expenses, as well as a $2,500 Service Award for each of the four (4) Class Representatives. If approved, these amounts will be paid from the Settlement Fund before distributing Settlement Class Benefits to Settlement Class Members who submit Valid Claims.

If you do not want to receive any Settlement Class Benefits, and you want to keep your right to separately sue the Defendant about the legal issues in this case, you must take steps to exclude yourself from the Settlement Class. This is called “opting out” of the Settlement Class. The Opt-Out Deadline to submit a “Request for Exclusion” from the Settlement is September 4, 2026.

To exclude yourself from the Settlement, your written Request for Exclusion must include the following:

• A statement that you want to be excluded from the Settlement Class, such as, “I request to be excluded from the Settlement Class in Williamson, et al. v. Healthcare Services Group, Inc., Case No. 2:25-cv-04908-JDW”;

• Your name, current address, telephone number, and email address (if any); and

• Your signature.

Your Request for Exclusion must be mailed to the Claims Administrator at the address below, postmarked no later than September 4, 2026.

Williamson, et al. v. Healthcare Services Group, Inc.
c/o Kroll Settlement Administration
ATTN: Request for Exclusion
P.O. Box 225391
New York, NY 10150-5391

“Mass” or “group” opt outs are not permitted under the Settlement Agreement.

If you are a Settlement Class Member, you may choose (but are not required) to object to the Settlement if you do not like it or a portion of it, whether that be to the Settlement Class Benefits; the request for Service Awards and attorneys’ fees, costs, and expenses, the Releases provided to the Defendant, or some other aspect of the Settlement. Through an objection, you give reasons why you think the Court should not approve the Settlement.

To be considered by the Court, your objection must include:

• The case name and number, Williamson, et al. v. Healthcare Services Group, Inc., Case No. 2:25-cv-04908-JDW; 

• Your full name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address (if any); 

• Proof that you are a member of the Settlement Class (e.g., copy of notice, copy of original notice of the Data Incident); 

• A written statement of all grounds for the objection, accompanied by any legal support for the objection you believe to be applicable; 

• A statement as to whether the objection applies only to you, to a specific subset of the Settlement Class, or to the entire Settlement Class;

• The identity of any and all attorney(s) representing you in connection with the objection; 

• A statement as to whether you and/or your attorney(s) will appear at the Final Fairness Hearing; 

• A list of all settlements to which you and/or your attorney have objected in the preceding five (5) years; and

• Your signature and the signature of your duly authorized attorney or other duly authorized representative (along with documentation of that representation).

Objections must be mailed to the Clerk of Court and the Claims Administrator, postmarked by September 4, 2026, at the following addresses:
 

Objecting is telling the Court that you do not like something about the Settlement. You may object to the Settlement only if you do not exclude yourself from it. Excluding yourself from the Settlement means telling the Court you do not want to be part of the Settlement Class. If you exclude yourself or opt out of the Settlement, you may not object to it because the Settlement no longer affects you.

The Court is scheduled to hold a Final Fairness Hearing on September 24, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. ET, at the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Courtroom 12B, 601 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106, to decide whether to approve the Settlement; attorneys’ fees, costs, and expenses of up to $1,000,000, plus reasonable out-of-pocket litigation expenses, for Class Counsel for representing the Settlement Class; and a $2,500 Service Award for the each of the four (4) Settlement Class Representatives who brought this Litigation on behalf of the Settlement Class. The date and time of this hearing may change without further notice. For updates, check on this Settlement Website.

No. Class Counsel will answer any questions the Court may have. You may attend the Final Fairness Hearing at your own expense. If you file an objection, you may, but are not required to, attend the Final Fairness Hearing to talk about your objection. If you file your written objection on time and in accordance with the requirements above, the Court will consider it even if you do not attend the hearing. You may also pay your own lawyer to attend, but it is not necessary.

If you are a Settlement Class Member and you do nothing, you will give up your right to start a lawsuit, continue a lawsuit, or be part of any other lawsuit against the Defendant and the Released Parties, as defined in the Settlement Agreement, about the legal issues resolved by this Settlement. In addition, you will be bound by the Releases in the Settlement and will not be eligible to receive any Settlement Class Benefits.

This Settlement Website summarizes the proposed Settlement. Complete details are provided in the Settlement Agreement. The Settlement Agreement and other related documents are available on the documents page at this Settlement Website.

If you have additional questions or need to update your address, you may contact the Claims Administrator by telephone at (833) 930-0571, or by mail:

Williamson, et al. v. Healthcare Services Group, Inc.
c/o Kroll Settlement Administration LLC
P.O. Box 225391
New York, NY 10150-5391