American Vision Partners Data Breach Settlement, Check If You Qualify — Hulewat v. Medical Management Resource Group, No. 2:24-cv-00377-DJH

American Vision Partners Data Breach Settlement — Key Facts

Detail	Information
Settlement Amount	$1,750,000
Claim Deadline	November 12, 2026
Who Qualifies	Damages Class: ~258,070 people whose Social Security number and other personal data were compromised. Injunctive Relief Class: ~1.6 million people whose personal information American Vision Partners collected or maintained.
Estimated Payout	Pro-rata cash payment (amount depends on total valid claims filed) OR documented out-of-pocket expense reimbursement, capped at $3,000 per claimant
Proof Required	No for pro-rata cash. Yes — receipts or records — for out-of-pocket expenses.
Settlement Status	Preliminarily approved June 30, 2026. Final Fairness Hearing set for December 14, 2026.
Court & Case Number	U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona, No. 2:24-cv-00377-DJH
Law Alleged	Negligence, breach of implied contract, and unjust enrichment tied to HIPAA data-security standards (HIPAA itself doesn’t let patients sue directly)
Administrator	Kroll Settlement Administration LLC
Official Claim Site	americanvisionsettlement.com
Last Updated	September 26, 2026

Who Is American Vision Partners and Why Are They Being Sued for a Data Breach?

Medical Management Resource Group, LLC, doing business as American Vision Partners, runs the back-office and management side for eye care practices across Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico — including LASIK, cataract, and cornea surgery providers. That central role is exactly the problem: because AVP’s systems held patient records for multiple practices at once, one network intrusion exposed data belonging to patients who may never have set foot in an AVP-managed office themselves. Plaintiffs say that concentration of data demanded stronger security than AVP had in place.

What Did American Vision Partners Do to Patients Between November and December 2023?

American Vision Partners detected unauthorized activity on its computer network on November 14, 2023. A forensic investigation confirmed on or around December 6, 2023, that an unauthorized third party had accessed the network and removed files containing patient information — names, birth dates, contact details, medical history, clinical records, medications, and health insurance information, with Social Security numbers exposed for a smaller subset of patients. Plaintiffs allege AVP failed to maintain reasonable, industry-standard cybersecurity practices, paired with negligence, breach of implied contract, and unjust enrichment claims — AVP denies any wrongdoing.

Here’s the detail that doesn’t show up in the settlement notice: AVP’s own breach report to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights, filed February 6, 2026, listed more than 2.35 million affected individuals — later revised on the HHS portal to 2,264,157. The settlement’s own injunctive relief class covers roughly 1.6 million people. That’s a gap of more than 600,000 people who appear in the federal government’s own breach registry but aren’t reflected in the class as currently defined — worth knowing if you got a breach notice from AVP but aren’t sure you’re covered by this particular settlement.

If this feels familiar, it should — Asheville Eye Associates settled a nearly identical ransomware-driven data breach case affecting eye care patients just last year, and healthcare data breach settlements involving Social Security numbers keep landing in the same range of compensation you’ll see below.

If your Social Security number was part of what got taken, that’s the detail that puts you in the higher-value damages class rather than the injunctive-relief-only group.

Who Qualifies for the American Vision Partners Data Breach Settlement?

Here’s exactly how to know if this case includes you.

• Patients whose Social Security number and other personal information were compromised in the incident — the Damages Class, roughly 258,070 people
• Anyone whose personal information American Vision Partners collected or maintained, even without a Social Security number exposed — the Injunctive Relief Class, roughly 1.6 million people
• Those who received a written notice about the data incident from American Vision Partners or the settlement administrator
• People who can confirm their information was part of AVP’s systems, even if they were a patient of an affiliated practice rather than AVP directly

You do not qualify if you’re a defendant, an officer, director, or immediate family member of a judicial officer overseeing the case, or if you’ve already validly excluded yourself.

American Vision Partners Patients Outside Arizona — Are You Still Covered?

Yes. This is a nationwide settlement, not a state-specific one. Coverage depends on whether your data was in AVP’s systems, not on where you live now or where you received care.

Not sure if you qualify? A free consultation with a data privacy attorney can help you sort out edge cases — like being a patient of an affiliated practice rather than AVP itself — before the November 12 deadline.

How Much Can Class Members Get? Up to $3,000 Per Person

Payout With Proof — Up to $3,000

If you can document out-of-pocket losses reasonably tied to the breach — credit monitoring costs, fraud-related expenses, time spent addressing identity theft — you can file for reimbursement up to $3,000 per claimant.

Payout Without Proof — Pro-Rata Cash Payment

If you’d rather skip the paperwork, request a pro-rata cash payment instead. There’s no fixed dollar figure yet — the fund gets split among everyone who files a valid claim, after attorneys’ fees, administration costs, and service awards for the seventeen class representatives come out first.

What Pro-Rata Means for Your Check

More people filing valid claims means a smaller check for each person. Fewer claims means a bigger one. Press reporting on the settlement summary indicates class counsel is requesting up to 35% of the $1.75 million fund in fees, plus up to $75,000 in costs and up to $10,000 per representative in service awards — figures to confirm against the actual Settlement Agreement.

Payments over $600 may appear on a 1099. Check with a tax professional before you count on the money.

That $1.75 million fund covers a damages class of roughly 258,070 people — do the math, and it’s clear why the pro-rata option won’t make anyone rich, even before fees come out.

How to File Your Claim — Step by Step

1. Go to the official claims portal: forms.ksacms.com/efiling/fr/eform/americanvisionsettlement_claimform
2. Enter your name, contact information, and Class Member ID if you received one.
3. Choose your payment option — pro-rata cash or documented out-of-pocket reimbursement.
4. If claiming out-of-pocket losses, upload documentation.
5. Submit and save your confirmation number.
6. Watch your email and mail for follow-up from Kroll Settlement Administration.

Takes about 10 minutes online. ⚠ Under 60 days left — file now at americanvisionsettlement.com before November 12, 2026.

Should Class Members Opt Out or Object Before October 13, 2026?

What Opting Out Actually Means

Opting out means no payment, but you keep your right to sue AVP separately. Most people should not opt out without talking to a lawyer first. Deadline: October 13, 2026, mailed to Kroll Settlement Administration LLC, PO Box 225391, New York, NY 10150-5391.

How to Object

You can stay in the class and still tell the court you disagree — the attorneys’ fee request is the most common target. Objections must be submitted or postmarked by October 13, 2026.

Talk to a class action lawsuit attorney before that date if you’re weighing either option.

Key Dates, 2026

Milestone	Date
Data incident detected	November 14, 2023
Unauthorized access confirmed	On or around December 6, 2023
Preliminary Approval	June 30, 2026
Opt-Out Deadline	October 13, 2026
Objection Deadline	October 13, 2026
Claim Filing Deadline	November 12, 2026
Final Approval Hearing	December 14, 2026, 10:00 a.m. MT
Expected Payment Date	UNVERIFIED — after final approval and any appeals resolve

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a lawyer to file a claim?

No. The online form walks you through it. A data privacy attorney is only useful if you’re opting out, objecting, or have losses above the $3,000 cap.

Is this settlement legitimate?

Yes — Hulewat et al. v. Medical Management Resource Group LLC d/b/a American Vision Partners, et al., No. 2:24-cv-00377-DJH, D. Arizona, with Kroll Settlement Administration LLC as administrator.

When will payments be sent?

Not before the December 14, 2026 Final Approval Hearing. Appeals can add months.

What if I missed the deadline?

Claims postmarked after November 12, 2026 are typically rejected. Contact the administrator directly.

Will my payment go to a 1099?

Payments over $600 may be reported. Talk to a tax professional.

How much will I get?

No fixed number for the pro-rata option — depends on total valid claims filed. Documented expenses are capped at $3,000.

Is there a difference between the two settlement classes?

Yes. The Injunctive Relief Class (~1.6M) gets security-improvement commitments only — no cash. The Damages Class (~258,070) can file for cash or reimbursement.

Why do HHS records show more people affected than the settlement covers?

AVP’s HHS report listed over 2.35 million affected (revised to 2,264,157) — more than the ~1.6 million in this settlement’s injunctive class. If you got a notice but aren’t sure you’re covered, contact the administrator.

Sources

• Official Settlement Website — americanvisionsettlement.com (Home, FAQ, Documents pages), accessed September 26, 2026
• Official Claim Form — forms.ksacms.com
• U.S. HHS Office for Civil Rights — HIPAA Breach Portal: ocrportal.hhs.gov/ocr/breach/breach_report.jsf
• Settlement Administrator — Kroll Settlement Administration LLC, (833) 630-5366

Researched and written by Israr Ahmad, legal content researcher and founder of AllAboutLawyer.com. Class definitions, deadlines, case number, and administrator details verified directly against americanvisionsettlement.com as of September 26, 2026. Fee and award figures are corroborated by trade press but should be confirmed against the Settlement Agreement PDF before publication. Last Updated: September 26, 2026.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws vary by state and individual circumstances differ. For advice about your specific situation, consult a qualified attorney.