Jefferson-Blount-St. Clair Mental Health Authority $700,000 Data Breach Settlement, Claim $100 or Up to $5,000 by December 23, 2026

If your information was caught up in the November 2025 ransomware attack on Jefferson-Blount-St. Clair Mental Health Authority (JBS), you may be able to claim a flat $100 payment or up to $5,000 for documented losses, plus three years of credit monitoring with at least $1 million in identity theft insurance.

The Authority denies the allegations, the court has not decided who is right, and no one gets paid unless the judge approves the settlement.

Deadlines at a glance November 23, 2026: opt out or object (postmarked) December 23, 2026: submit your claim (online by 11:59 p.m. Eastern, or mailed and postmarked) February 16, 2027, 10:30 a.m. CT: final approval hearing

JBS Mental Health Authority Data Breach Settlement Quick Facts

Item	Details
Official settlement website	JBSSettlement.com (claim login: JBSSettlement.com/Login)
Case name	Mykel Meyer, et al. v. Jefferson-Blount-St. Clair Mental Health Authority
Case number	01-CV-2026-901158.00
Court and judge	Circuit Court of Jefferson County, Alabama, Birmingham Division; Hon. Chuck Price
Settlement fund	$700,000, non-reversionary
Class size	About 29,486 people, per the Settlement Agreement
Cash option A	Up to $5,000 for documented losses
Cash option B	$100 flat payment, adjusted up or down pro rata
Credit monitoring	3 years, one bureau, with at least $1,000,000 in identity theft insurance
Opt-out and objection deadline	November 23, 2026
Claim deadline	December 23, 2026
Final approval hearing	February 16, 2027, 10:30 a.m. Central Time
Class counsel	Jonathan S. Mann, Pittman, Dutton, Hellums, Bradley & Mann, P.C.
Defense counsel	Jordan O’Donnell, Mullen Coughlin
Administrator	CPT Group, Inc., 1-888-716-0970, [email protected]

What Happened in the JBS Mental Health Authority Ransomware Attack?

JBS is an Alabama nonprofit created by a 1967 act of the legislature. According to the Settlement Agreement, it plans, coordinates and develops mental health services for Region M-5.

On or around November 25, 2025, JBS determined it had suffered a ransomware attack and that unauthorized access to its network happened that day. Certain files may have been accessed or taken. JBS posted notice on its website and to local media on January 23, 2026 and began mailing letters on March 9, 2026. Its data security notice says the files may relate to patients or employees with records from 2011 through 2025, and it does not say every file was taken or every person was affected.

Several class actions were consolidated into this one. The plaintiffs say JBS was negligent or otherwise responsible for failing to prevent the attack. The parties mediated on June 5, 2026, signed the settlement between July 22 and July 30, 2026, and the court gave preliminary approval on August 25, 2026.

Information that may have been exposed. Depending on the person, JBS says this may include names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, health insurance information, medical record numbers, Medicare and Medicaid information, diagnoses, treatment and prescription information, and billing and claims information. Not everyone’s records contained every category. Watch your account statements and insurance explanations of benefits, and report suspicious activity.

Healthcare breaches with similar benefits have also settled. See Mental Health Association Data Breach Settlement, Check If You Qualify, Campbell et al. v. Mental Health Association, Inc., No. 2579CV00419 and Central Maine Healthcare $1,368,025 Data Breach Settlement, Check If You Qualify — In Re Central Maine Data Security Litigation, No. ANDSC-CIV-2025-00083. For a comparable healthcare payout with the same kind of two cash options, see Capital Health Settlement Website, $4.5 Million Payout Claim Guide for Data Breach Claims 2026. Each case has its own class and terms, so eligibility in one does not carry over to another.

Who Qualifies for the JBS Mental Health Authority Settlement?

You are in the class if you live in the United States or a U.S. territory and your private information was determined to have been potentially affected by the incident. That includes anyone who received a notice letter, and former patients and employees may qualify. You do not have to live in Jefferson, Blount or St. Clair counties.

Excluded are JBS’s governing board members, governmental entities, the court, its staff and their immediate families, and anyone who validly opts out. If you are unsure whether you are covered, ask the administrator at 1-888-716-0970 or [email protected].

What Do You Get From the JBS Mental Health Authority Settlement?

You can claim one cash option, plus credit monitoring. You cannot claim both cash options.

Cash Payment A: documented losses, up to $5,000. Choose it on the claim form, attest under penalty of perjury, and send reasonable third-party documentation such as bank or credit card statements, invoices, phone records or receipts. Handwritten receipts, declarations and affidavits do not count on their own, though they can explain other documents. A covered loss should be an actual, unreimbursed loss, more likely than not caused by the incident, incurred on or after November 25, 2025, and you should have tried to avoid it or get it reimbursed. Expenses someone else already repaid are not covered. If your documentation is inadequate or your claim is rejected and you do not fix it, you are treated as if you chose Cash Payment B.

Cash Payment B: $100 flat payment. No documents needed. The amount is adjusted up or down pro rata depending on total claims.

Credit monitoring. Everyone in the class can claim three years of one-bureau credit monitoring and identity theft protection, with at least $1,000,000 in identity theft insurance, whether or not they claim cash. Enrollment instructions come after final approval.

How Much Will the JBS Mental Health Authority Settlement Pay?

The $100 is not guaranteed. The $700,000 must cover cash payments and credit monitoring, plus administration costs, court-approved attorneys’ fees and costs, and service awards. What is left after those is the Net Settlement Fund, and the $100 payments are scaled up or down on an equal percentage basis to fit it.

Component	Proposed treatment
Attorneys’ fees	Up to 33.33% of the fund (about $233,310), plus costs, subject to court approval
Service awards	Up to 2,500foreachofeightclassrepresentatives(20,000 total)
Administration and credit monitoring	Costs not stated in the documents
Cash payments	Paid from the remaining Net Settlement Fund

If the court grants the maximum fees and awards, about $446,690 of the $700,000 would remain for administration, credit monitoring and all cash payments, so the real net fund will be smaller. For scale, if all 29,486 class members claimed $100, the total would be about $2.9 million. A big turnout shrinks the per-person amount and a small one should leave it steady or higher. This is arithmetic, not a forecast.

Unused money does not return to JBS. If funds remain after checks expire, a second payment may go to claimants if the average would be at least $5. Otherwise it goes to a court-approved cy pres recipient (a charity chosen by the parties and approved by the judge).

How to File a JBS Mental Health Authority Settlement Claim by December 23, 2026

Online (easiest, and the only way to pick electronic payment). Go to JBSSettlement.com/Login and use the CPT ID and passcode printed on your notice. Lost them? Call 1-888-716-0970 or email [email protected].

By mail. Download the claim form, or call to have one mailed, and send it postmarked by December 23, 2026 to:

Jefferson-Blount-St. Clair Data Security Incident c/o CPT Group, Inc. PO Box 19504 Irvine, CA 92623

The tear-off postcard sent with your notice works only for Cash Payment B and credit monitoring, and pays by paper check. For documented losses, use the website or the full claim form with your documents attached.

You can file only one claim, and the form is signed under penalty of perjury. A parent or legal guardian can file for a minor. If the administrator finds a problem, you will get a Notice of Deficiency and have until the claim deadline or 21 days from the notice, whichever is later, to fix it. Keep a copy of your claim and tell the administrator if your address or email changes.

When Will JBS Mental Health Authority Settlement Payments Be Sent?

Not until the court gives final approval and any appeals are resolved. The final approval hearing is February 16, 2027 at 10:30 a.m. before Judge Price at 716 Richard Arrington, Jr. Blvd. N., Birmingham, AL 35203. The hearing may be in person or on Zoom and the date can change, so check the official dates page.

After the settlement takes effect, the administrator has up to 75 days to distribute benefits. People with valid claims get an email asking how they want to be paid and have 30 days to choose. If you do not respond, or your payment information is incomplete, you get a paper check, which you then have 90 days to cash.

JBS Mental Health Authority Settlement Dates and Deadlines

Date	What happens
November 25, 2025	Ransomware attack discovered
January 23, 2026	JBS posts notice on its website and to local media
March 9, 2026	JBS begins mailing notice letters
June 5, 2026	Mediation with Phillip McCallum
August 25, 2026	Court preliminarily approves the settlement
November 23, 2026	Opt-out and objection deadline
December 23, 2026	Claim deadline
February 16, 2027, 10:30 a.m. CT	Final approval hearing

Your Options in the JBS Mental Health Authority Settlement: Claim, Opt Out, Object or Do Nothing

Option	What it means	Deadline
File a claim	Get cash, credit monitoring, or both. You give up the released claims.	December 23, 2026
Opt out	No payment or monitoring. You keep the right to sue JBS over the same claims.	Postmarked by November 23, 2026
Object	Tell the court what you dislike. You stay in the class and can still claim.	Postmarked by November 23, 2026
Do nothing	No payment or monitoring, and you are still bound by the release.	None

To opt out, mail a letter you sign yourself to CPT Group, Inc., PO Box 19504, Irvine, CA 92623, postmarked by November 23, 2026. Include your name, address, telephone number, email address if you have one, and a statement that you want to be excluded from Mykel Meyer, et al. v. Jefferson-Blount-St. Clair Mental Health Authority, Case No. 01-CV-2026-901158.00. Group opt-outs signed by someone else are not allowed. JBS can cancel the whole settlement if more than 200 people ask to be excluded within 21 days after the opt-out deadline.

To object, you must stay in the class. Mail a written objection, postmarked by November 23, 2026, to the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Jefferson County (716 Richard Arrington, Jr. Blvd. N., Birmingham, AL 35203), class counsel Jonathan S. Mann (2001 Park Place North, Suite 1100, Birmingham, AL 35203), defense counsel Jordan O’Donnell at Mullen Coughlin (426 W. Lancaster Ave., Suite 200, Devon, PA 19333), and the administrator at the P.O. box above. It must include the case name and number; your name, address, phone and email; your reasons and any legal support; how many class settlements you have objected to in the past five years, with case names and orders; your lawyers and their five-year objection history; any agreements about the objection; whether you or your lawyer will appear at the hearing and whom you would call to testify; and your own signature. A lawyer’s signature alone is not enough. The court may reject an incomplete objection, and the parties can question objectors under oath. You do not have to attend the hearing. See the Long Form Notice for the full rules.

If you opt out, you cannot object.

What Claims Do You Give Up in the JBS Mental Health Authority Settlement?

If you stay in the class and the settlement is approved, you cannot sue JBS or the other Released Parties over claims connected to the data breach or the complaint’s allegations. Section XI of the Settlement Agreement lists them, including claims under consumer protection and data breach notification laws, negligence, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, invasion of privacy and unjust enrichment, known or unknown. That holds even if you never file a claim. Only a valid, timely opt-out keeps your right to sue. If you already have your own lawsuit over this breach, talk to your lawyer right away.

What Laws Apply to the JBS Mental Health Authority Data Breach Lawsuit?

The notice says the lawsuit alleges JBS was negligent or otherwise responsible for failing to prevent the attack, and its public summary does not list every claim. The laws below are background, not findings that JBS violated them.

• Negligence. Generally requires a duty of care, breach, causation and legally recognized harm. The settlement does not establish that JBS breached a duty or that any person suffered a proven loss.
• Alabama Data Breach Notification Act. Ala. Code §§ 8-38-1 through 8-38-12 addresses reasonable security measures, breach investigation and notice to affected individuals.
• HIPAA Breach Notification Rule. 45 C.F.R. §§ 164.400–414 requires covered entities to give notice after certain breaches of unsecured protected health information. Medical data was involved here, but the official summary does not identify a separate HIPAA claim.

JBS Mental Health Authority Settlement FAQ

Is the JBS Mental Health Authority settlement legitimate? 

Yes, it has an official website run by CPT Group and is pending in Mykel Meyer, et al. v. Jefferson-Blount-St. Clair Mental Health Authority, Case No. 01-CV-2026-901158.00. The court granted preliminary approval, but final approval is pending.

Does JBS admit it did anything wrong? 

No. JBS denies the allegations and any liability, and the court has not found wrongdoing.

Can I get both the $100 and the $5,000? 

No. Choose Cash Payment A or B. Credit monitoring is available on top of either.

Do I need to prove identity theft?

 No, not for the $100. For Cash Payment A you must document actual, unreimbursed losses.

What if I don’t have documents for my losses? 

Choose Cash Payment B. An inadequately documented Cash Payment A claim is treated as Cash Payment B anyway.

What if I never received a notice or lost my CPT ID and passcode?

 Call 1-888-716-0970 or email [email protected], or use the downloadable claim form.

Do I need a lawyer? 

No. Jonathan S. Mann is class counsel, and you are not charged for him. You may hire your own lawyer at your own expense.

Do I have to attend the February 16, 2027 hearing? 

No. You may attend at your own expense, and your objection will be considered without you.

Should I call the court with questions? 

No. The notice asks people to contact the administrator instead.

Official JBS Mental Health Authority Settlement Contacts

• Website: JBSSettlement.com
• Phone: 1-888-716-0970 (toll free)
• Email: [email protected]
• Mail: Jefferson-Blount-St. Clair Data Security Incident, c/o CPT Group, Inc., PO Box 19504, Irvine, CA 92623

Sources

• JBSSettlement.com, official settlement website, including its documents page and dates page
• Long Form Notice, Settlement Agreement, Claim Form and Amended Preliminary Approval Order, Circuit Court of Jefferson County, Alabama (entered August 25, 2026)
• JBS Mental Health Authority data security notice
• Alabama Data Breach Notification Act, Chapter 8-38, Alabama Legislature
• HIPAA Breach Notification Rule, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

This article is for informational purposes only and is not legal, medical or tax advice. The allegations against Jefferson-Blount-St. Clair Mental Health Authority are disputed, and the proposed settlement is not an admission of liability.

Researched and written by Israr Ahmad, legal content researcher and founder of AllAboutLawyer.com. All facts verified against the official Long Form Notice, Settlement Agreement, claim form and Amended Preliminary Approval Order run by the administrator (JBSSettlement.com), plus JBS’s data security notice, as of October 28, 2026. Last Updated: October 28, 2026.