Eye Physicians of Central Florida Data Breach Settlement, Do You Qualify for Up to $9,500 Until May 15, 2026?

A November 2023 cyberattack on Eye Physicians of Central Florida, P.L.C. exposed patient names, medical records, health insurance details, and financial information. A class action lawsuit followed, and the company agreed to settle. The settlement received preliminary approval from the Circuit Court for Orange County, Florida on February 23, 2026. Anyone who received a breach notification from Eye Physicians has until May 15, 2026 to file a claim for cash, expense reimbursement, or free credit monitoring.

Field	Detail
Settlement Amount	TBD (fund amount not publicly disclosed)
Claim Deadline	May 15, 2026
Who Qualifies	U.S. residents notified by Eye Physicians about the November 2023 data breach
Maximum Payout	Up to $9,500 (extraordinary losses); up to $2,000 (ordinary losses)
Proof Required	Yes — for cash reimbursement claims
Settlement Status	Preliminarily approved February 23, 2026
Administrator	Simpluris, Inc.
Official Website	EyePhysiciansCentralFLSettlement.com

Where things stand: The court has not yet set a date for the Final Approval Hearing, which will occur at least 90 days after the February 23, 2026 preliminary approval order. The opt-out and objection deadline is April 29, 2026. Cash payments will not go out until after the court grants final approval and any appeals are resolved.

What the Cyberattack Exposed — and Why Patients Are Suing

In November 2023, hackers carried out a targeted cyberattack on Eye Physicians of Central Florida’s computer systems and accessed files containing patients’ private information. The compromised data may have included names, addresses, dates of birth, medical diagnoses, treatment information, health insurance information, and financial information.

Patients affected by the breach filed a class action lawsuit under the case name Connell v. Eye Physicians of Central Florida, P.L.C., arguing that the ophthalmology practice failed to adequately protect sensitive data stored on its systems. Eye Physicians denies any wrongdoing.

Both sides agreed to settle to avoid the costs, risks, and uncertainties of continuing to litigate the case. The settlement does not represent an admission of liability by Eye Physicians.

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Who Can File a Claim

Eligibility for this settlement is straightforward. You qualify if:

• You live in the United States, and
• Eye Physicians of Central Florida notified you that your private information may have been impacted by the November 2023 data breach

The settlement also covers employees of Eye Physicians who entered into an arbitration agreement — Eye Physicians agreed to waive enforcement of those agreements for the limited purpose of claims arising from the data breach.

If you are unsure whether you received a notification or whether you qualify, contact the settlement administrator toll-free at (888) 511-1472, available 24/7.

How Much You Can Receive

The settlement offers three tiers of compensation, and you can claim more than one benefit at the same time.

Two Years of Credit Monitoring (no documentation needed) All settlement class members who submit a valid, timely claim form can enroll in two years of credit monitoring services, which includes $1 million in identity theft insurance. You do not need to prove any losses to receive this benefit.

Ordinary Losses — up to $2,000 If you incurred out-of-pocket expenses due to the breach — such as bank fees, credit monitoring services you paid for, postage, gas for local travel, or phone charges — you can claim up to $2,000 in reimbursement, including up to three hours of lost time at $25 per hour. The losses must have occurred between November 5, 2023 and May 15, 2026, and you must provide supporting documentation such as receipts, bank statements, or invoices.

Extraordinary Losses — up to $7,500 If you suffered actual, documented monetary losses from fraud or identity theft directly linked to the breach — and those losses are not already covered by the ordinary loss category — you can claim up to $7,500. To qualify, you must show that you exhausted all available credit monitoring and identity theft insurance options first, and provide documentation such as bank statements, credit card statements showing fraudulent charges, or police reports.

Combined, the maximum a single claimant can receive in cash is $9,500 ($2,000 ordinary + $7,500 extraordinary), plus free credit monitoring on top of that.

How to File Before the May 15, 2026 Deadline

Step 1 — Go to EyePhysiciansCentralFLSettlement.com and click “Submit a Claim.”

Step 2 — Fill out your personal details and select which benefits you are claiming (credit monitoring, ordinary losses, extraordinary losses, or all three).

Step 3 — Upload supporting documentation if claiming cash reimbursement. Bank statements, receipts, and invoices all qualify. Self-prepared notes alone are not sufficient.

Step 4 — Submit the form online before May 15, 2026. If mailing a paper form, it must be postmarked by May 15, 2026 and sent to: Eye Physicians Data Breach Incident Settlement, c/o Settlement Administrator, P.O. Box 25226, Santa Ana, CA 92799.

Step 5 — Save your confirmation for your records.

Estimated time to complete: 5–15 minutes, depending on how many documents you gather.

Key Dates

Milestone	Date
Data breach discovered	November 5, 2023
Lawsuit filed	2023 (Connell v. Eye Physicians of Central Florida, P.L.C., Case No. 2023-CA-017660-O)
Preliminary approval granted	February 23, 2026
Breach notifications mailed	March 16, 2026
Opt-out deadline	April 29, 2026
Objection deadline	April 29, 2026
Claim filing deadline	May 15, 2026
Final approval hearing	TBD (at least 90 days after February 23, 2026)
Expected payment date	TBD — after final approval and any appeals

Questions Patients Are Asking

Do I need a lawyer to file a claim?

 No. The court appointed Class Counsel — attorneys Manuel Hiraldo, Jibrael Hindi, and Brian Levin — to represent all class members at no charge. You file your claim directly through the settlement website, and you will not be billed for legal services.

Is this settlement real, or a scam? 

It’s real. The case is pending in the Circuit Court for Orange County, Florida, under Case No. 2023-CA-017660-O, and the settlement received preliminary court approval on February 23, 2026. The only official website is EyePhysiciansCentralFLSettlement.com, administered by Simpluris, Inc.

I received a breach notice but had no out-of-pocket losses. Can I still file?

 Yes. You don’t need to show financial harm to claim the free two-year credit monitoring package with $1 million in identity theft insurance. Just submit a valid claim form by May 15, 2026.

When will I receive my payment? 

Settlement payments will be distributed after the court grants final approval and any appeals are resolved. The final approval hearing has not yet been scheduled. Check EyePhysiciansCentralFLSettlement.com for updates.

What if I miss the May 15, 2026 deadline?

 You will receive no settlement benefits and you will also give up your right to sue Eye Physicians separately over this breach. If you want to preserve the right to take independent legal action, you must opt out before April 29, 2026 instead.

What if I want to opt out and sue on my own? 

To opt out, mail a signed Request for Exclusion to the Settlement Administrator at P.O. Box 25226, Santa Ana, CA 92799 by April 29, 2026. Your letter must include the case name, your full name, address, phone, email, and a statement that you want to be excluded.

Will this settlement payment count as taxable income? 

Reimbursements for documented out-of-pocket losses are generally not taxable. Payments representing other types of settlement compensation may vary. Consult a tax professional for guidance specific to your situation.

What medical information was exposed? 

The breached files may have contained names, addresses, dates of birth, medical diagnoses and treatment information, health insurance information, and financial information. Not every individual necessarily had all of these data types exposed — what was at risk depends on what Eye Physicians stored in the files the attackers accessed.

Sources & References

• Official Settlement Website — EyePhysiciansCentralFLSettlement.com
• Settlement FAQ — Simpluris/Circuit Court for Orange County, Florida

Last Updated: March 27, 2026

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Legal claims and outcomes depend on specific facts and applicable law. For advice regarding a particular situation, consult a qualified attorney.