Class-Action Lawsuit Filed Against Equifax Over Security Breach

Personal information of 143 million Americans exposed to hackers and identity thieves

Bailey Glasser attorneys have filed a class-action lawsuit against Equifax over a security breach revealed this month that exposed the information of 143 million Americans. Hackers gained access to the information on the company’s website.

The lawsuit is being pursued by a team of Bailey Glasser attorneys including Benjamin Bailey, John Roddy, Elizabeth Ryan, and Jonathan Marshall and attorneys from the Law Office of Nicholas F. Ortiz.

Equifax is a credit reporting bureau. It gathers information about consumers’ financial histories and sells that information to parties interested in consumers’ creditworthiness. Equifax’s business is regulated by the Fair Credit Reporting Act and other state and federal regulations. It is supposed to ensure that sensitive information is only available to those entitled to it under FCRA.

Since Equifax announced the massive security breach — a full six weeks after it was first detected — the company has come under heavy criticism by cybersecurity experts who faulted Equifax for its failure to update its software and technology to guard against common and known vulnerabilities.

This breach will require millions of Americans to constantly monitor their financial, medical and employment records. They will be at risk for identity theft and other risks to their good credit.

Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey has filed suit against the company, the first state attorney general to do so.

The class-action lawsuit alleges negligence, violation of the Credit Repair Organizations Act, willful and negligent violations of FCRA, and, on behalf of the Massachusetts subclass, violations of the Massachusetts Consumer Protection Act.