Warrior Met Coal Data Breach Settlement 2026, Claim $25 Cash or Up to $2,500 Before January 21

Current and former Warrior Met Coal employees, and others whose personal information may have been exposed in a data incident discovered in July 2023, can now submit claims under a proposed class action settlement. The options are $25 cash with no loss receipts, or up to $2,500 in qualifying reimbursement.

Eligible class members can also request one year of free three-bureau credit monitoring and identity theft protection, whichever money option they pick.

The settlement resolves Douglas Gibson v. Warrior Met Coal, Inc., Case No. 7:24-cv-00095, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, Western Division. The lawsuit alleged that Warrior Met Coal failed to adequately protect sensitive employee information, including names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth and potentially medical information.

Warrior Met Coal denies wrongdoing, and the court has not decided the merits of the claims. The parties settled to avoid the cost and risk of continuing the litigation.

The deadline to file a claim is January 21, 2027. Opting out or objecting has an earlier deadline of December 7, 2026. The final approval hearing is set for March 15, 2027, and no payment is guaranteed until the court gives final approval.

Warrior Met Coal Settlement: Quick Facts

Detail	Settlement information
Settlement	Warrior Met Coal Data Breach Settlement
Lawsuit	Gibson v. Warrior Met Coal, Inc.
Case number	7:24-cv-00095-ACA
Court	U.S. District Court, Northern District of Alabama, Western Division
Judge	Annemarie Carney Axon
Plaintiff	Douglas Gibson
Defendant	Warrior Met Coal, Inc.
Data incident	Discovered July 2023
Eligible individuals	U.S. individuals sent notice of the data incident
Alternative cash payment	$25
Lost time	Up to $60
Ordinary expenses	Up to $250
Actual monetary losses	Up to $2,500
Maximum combined reimbursement	$2,500
Credit monitoring	One year, three-bureau protection
Claim required?	Yes
Claim deadline	January 21, 2027
Exclusion deadline	December 7, 2026
Objection deadline	December 7, 2026
Final approval hearing	March 15, 2027, at 1 p.m. Central
Settlement administrator	Kroll Settlement Administration
Official website	coaldatasettlement.com

Who Qualifies for the Warrior Met Coal Data Breach Settlement?

According to the official settlement website, the class includes:

Individuals in the United States who were sent a notice stating that their personal information may have been affected by Warrior Met Coal’s July 2023 data incident.

In plain terms, if you received a letter from Warrior Met Coal telling you your personal information may have been accessed, you are a settlement class member. The information involved was collected and maintained by the company, including information about current and former employees and others.

Do you have to be a current Warrior Met Coal employee?

No. Former employees can qualify if they received the data breach notice and meet the settlement’s requirements.

What if you no longer live in Alabama?

You may still qualify. The lawsuit is in Alabama, but the class covers qualifying individuals across the United States.

What if you never experienced identity theft?

You can still request the $25 alternative cash payment. You do not have to prove anyone used your information fraudulently to choose that option.

What if you did not receive a notice?

The class is tied to people who were sent a notification about the incident. If you think you should have been included but didn’t get one, call Kroll at 1-833-447-7515 and ask whether your information appears in the settlement records.

How Much Can You Receive From the Warrior Met Coal Settlement?

There are four monetary benefit options, plus credit monitoring.

Benefit	Maximum amount	Documentation
Alternative flat cash	$25	No loss receipts
Lost time	$60	Description of time spent
Ordinary out-of-pocket losses	$250	Supporting documents
Actual monetary losses	$2,500	Proof of qualifying loss
Credit monitoring	One year	No financial-loss documentation

You can claim qualifying lost time, ordinary expenses and actual monetary losses together, but their combined maximum is $2,500. That is not $2,500 on top of another $250 and $60. Or you can choose the $25 flat payment instead, which cannot be combined with the other three money benefits. Credit monitoring is available with either choice.

Benefits are subject to the Settlement Agreement, and payments may be adjusted if total valid claims exceed the available funds.

Option 1: Receive $25 Cash Without Loss Receipts

Class members who don’t want to document expenses can request a $25 flat cash payment. It may suit you if your information was potentially exposed but you had no financial losses and didn’t spend time dealing with the incident.

You still have to complete a valid claim form by January 21, 2027. Choosing the $25 payment means giving up the lost-time, ordinary-expense and fraud-loss reimbursement options.

Option 2: Claim Up to $60 for Lost Time

Class members who spent time dealing with the breach can claim $15 per hour for up to four hours, for a maximum of $60. Qualifying activities can include checking financial accounts, reviewing credit reports, handling suspicious transactions or taking other reasonable steps connected to the incident.

You must describe on the claim form how you spent your time. The official FAQ says no further documentation is required beyond a verified description. Lost-time reimbursement counts toward the combined $2,500 limit.

Option 3: Claim Up to $250 for Ordinary Expenses

The settlement reimburses qualifying out-of-pocket expenses caused by the data breach. Covered examples include:

• Bank fees
• Long-distance or per-minute telephone charges
• Data usage fees
• Postage for contacting financial institutions
• Gas for local travel related to the incident
• Credit report fees
• Credit monitoring or identity theft insurance costs

These expenses must have been incurred between July 17, 2023, and the end of the claims period on January 21, 2027. Unlike the $25 option, reimbursement requires supporting documents such as receipts, invoices or financial statements. The maximum is $250.

Option 4: Claim Up to $2,500 for Fraud or Identity Theft Losses

Class members who suffered qualifying financial losses from misuse of their personal information can seek up to $2,500. The losses must be documented, unreimbursed and more likely than not connected to the Warrior Met Coal data breach. Examples include identity-theft-related financial losses and fraud-related expenses.

To qualify, you must show you made reasonable efforts to prevent or recover the loss, including pursuing available insurance or identity protection benefits.

The covered period for these losses is different. They must have occurred between July 17, 2023, and seven days after the court-approved settlement notice was sent. That cutoff is not the same as the January 21, 2027 claim-submission deadline. Check the official claim form or ask the administrator whether a particular loss falls inside the covered period.

Can you receive more than $2,500 by combining benefits?

No. The combined recovery for lost time, ordinary expenses and actual monetary losses is capped at $2,500 per person. For example, someone with $60 in lost time and $250 in ordinary expenses has a combined potential claim of $310, subject to approval. Someone with qualifying fraud losses can seek more, but the total still cannot exceed $2,500.

How to File a Warrior Met Coal Settlement Claim

The only way to receive benefits is a valid, timely claim. File online or by mail by January 21, 2027.

Step 1: Open the official settlement claim form

https://www.coaldatasettlement.com

Select Submit Claim. You can also use the administrator’s direct form:

Kroll claim form

Step 2: Enter your claim information

The online portal uses details from your notice, including your Class Member ID. Fill in the requested information accurately.

Step 3: Choose your benefit

Pick either the $25 flat payment or the reimbursement categories that apply to you. You can also request the free identity theft protection and credit monitoring.

Step 4: Provide documents if needed

You don’t need loss receipts for the $25 payment. If you are claiming ordinary or actual monetary losses, include the supporting documents the form asks for. If you are claiming lost time, explain what you did and how long it took.

Step 5: Submit by January 21, 2027

Submit online by the deadline and keep your confirmation.

Can you submit a paper claim?

Yes. Download a printable form from the settlement documents page or ask Kroll for one. Mail the completed form and any required documents to:

Gibson v. Warrior Met Coal, Inc. c/o Kroll Settlement Administration LLC P.O. Box 225391 New York, NY 10150-5391

Mailed claims must be postmarked by January 21, 2027.

How Does the Free Credit Monitoring Work?

All eligible class members can request one year of identity theft protection and three-bureau credit monitoring. It is available whether you choose the $25 payment or documented-loss reimbursement. Three-bureau monitoring helps track changes or suspicious activity in the credit information kept by Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.

The official settlement does not describe this as an extra cash payment, and you must submit a valid claim to get it.

For another settlement that pairs credit monitoring with compensation, see Lowe Engineers Data Breach Settlement, $50 Cash or Up to $5,500 in Documented Losses, Plus Two Years of Credit Monitoring. That settlement is separate and has different limits and deadlines.

What Happened in the Warrior Met Coal Data Breach?

Warrior Met Coal, an Alabama-based mining company, discovered a cybersecurity incident in or about July 2023. According to the federal complaint, an unauthorized third party gained access to the company’s computer network and files and potentially obtained sensitive information about current and former employees and others. The information allegedly involved included names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers and medical information. What was exposed may have differed from person to person.

The original lawsuit alleged that Warrior Met Coal did not put adequate cybersecurity measures in place and did not give timely or detailed enough notice of the incident. Warrior Met Coal denied the allegations.

How many people were affected?

The original federal complaint cited breach reporting that about 19,794 individuals were affected. A later federal court opinion described the incident as involving more than 19,000 current and former employees. The number of affected people is not the same as the number who will file valid settlement claims. Eligibility depends on the official class definition.

Why Did Douglas Gibson Sue Warrior Met Coal?

Douglas Gibson, a former Warrior Met Coal employee, filed the lawsuit on January 26, 2024. He alleged the company failed to adequately protect personal information it collected from employees as a condition of employment. The original complaint asserted several legal theories:

• Negligence
• Negligence per se
• Breach of implied contract
• Invasion of privacy
• Unjust enrichment

Gibson alleged that affected people spent time and money protecting themselves after the breach and faced a risk of identity theft or fraud. The case was filed in the Northern District of Alabama.

What did the judge decide in October 2024?

On October 3, 2024, U.S. District Judge Annemarie Carney Axon partially granted and partially denied Warrior Met Coal’s motion to dismiss. The court allowed the negligence, negligence per se, breach of implied contract and unjust enrichment claims to go forward at that stage. It dismissed the invasion-of-privacy claim because the complaint did not establish the intentional intrusion that theory requires. The judge also dismissed most of the requested injunctive relief for lack of standing, while allowing one request about education on the risks of the breach to remain.

The ruling did not establish that Warrior Met Coal was liable. It meant that several claims were pleaded well enough to continue through litigation. The parties later reached the proposed settlement.

What Laws Were Involved?

The lawsuit mainly involved Alabama civil-law claims about how sensitive personal information was handled. The negligence allegations asked whether Warrior Met Coal owed affected people a duty to protect their information and whether a breach of that duty caused legally recognized harm. The negligence per se claim relied on Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act, 15 U.S.C. § 45, which prohibits unfair or deceptive practices, and the October 2024 opinion discussed whether the FTC Act can support a negligence per se theory under Alabama law. The implied-contract claim asked whether Warrior Met Coal took on an obligation to protect employee information when it collected it. The court let several theories proceed without deciding that the alleged failures occurred.

For a similar dispute involving compromised employee information, see Grayback Forestry Data Breach Class Action Settlement, $65 Cash or Up to $5,000, Plus 3 Years of Credit Monitoring. That case involves a different company, incident and agreement.

Other laws and court rules that shape a case like this

• Alabama Data Breach Notification Act of 2018 (Ala. Code § 8-38-1 et seq.). Alabama requires covered entities to use reasonable security measures and to notify affected Alabama residents of a breach, generally within 45 days after determining that a breach has occurred and is reasonably likely to cause substantial harm. It also requires notice to the Alabama Attorney General when more than 1,000 Alabama residents are affected. The Act is enforced by the Attorney General, and it does not create a private right to sue, which is why private plaintiffs typically use negligence and contract theories instead.
• Federal class action rules. Federal courts handle class settlements under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23. Rule 23(c)(2)(B) requires notice to the class and a chance to opt out. Rule 23(e) requires court approval of a class settlement after finding it fair, reasonable and adequate. Rule 23(h) governs attorney’s fees. This explains the notice, the December 7 opt-out and objection deadline, and the March 15, 2027 final approval hearing.
• Class Action Fairness Act (CAFA). Under 28 U.S.C. § 1332(d), federal courts can hear certain large class actions, and 28 U.S.C. § 1715 requires the defendant to notify the appropriate federal and state officials of a proposed class settlement before the court can give final approval.
• Standing in data breach cases. A federal plaintiff must show a concrete injury. The Supreme Court held in TransUnion LLC v. Ramirez, 594 U.S. 413 (2021), that a risk of future harm alone does not support damages. The Eleventh Circuit, which covers Alabama, has applied that rule in data breach cases, for example Tsao v. Captiva MVP Restaurant Partners, LLC, 986 F.3d 1332 (11th Cir. 2021), and Green-Cooper v. Brinker International, Inc., 73 F.4th 883 (11th Cir. 2023). This is why the judge’s partial dismissal of the injunctive claims for lack of standing mattered.
• Medical information. The HIPAA breach-notification rules (45 C.F.R. §§ 164.400-414) apply only to covered entities and their business associates, and HIPAA does not give individuals a right to sue. Whether those rules apply to employment-related health information depends on who held it.
• Credit protections. The Fair Credit Reporting Act gives you free credit reports (15 U.S.C. § 1681j), fraud alerts and free security freezes (15 U.S.C. § 1681c-1). Using another person’s identifying information without permission is a federal crime under 18 U.S.C. §§ 1028 and 1028A.
• Time limits if you opt out. Alabama’s limitation periods vary by claim (for example, two years for many negligence claims under Ala. Code § 6-2-38(l) and six years for many contract claims under Ala. Code § 6-2-34). The incident dates to July 2023, so deadlines may already be close or past for some theories. If you are considering opting out, speak with a licensed attorney promptly.
• Taxes. Settlement money can be taxable in some situations, and reimbursement of a documented loss may be treated differently from a flat payment. Ask a qualified tax professional.

Has the Warrior Met Coal Settlement Received Final Approval?

No. The settlement has reached the court-authorized notice and claims stage, but final approval is still pending. A hearing is set for March 15, 2027, at 1 p.m. Central Time. The court will consider whether the settlement is fair, reasonable and adequate, and will also look at the requests for attorneys’ fees, litigation costs and a service award. If the settlement is approved, payments can go ahead after any appeals or further review are resolved.

How Much Are the Attorneys Receiving?

Class Counsel plans to ask for $225,000 in attorneys’ fees, costs and expenses. The plaintiff, Douglas Gibson, may also receive a service award of up to $5,000, subject to court approval. The official FAQ says Warrior Met Coal pays these amounts separately from class member benefits, so the $225,000 request should not automatically come out of your $25 payment or approved reimbursement.

The class is represented by Gary M. Klinger of Milberg, PLLC. You do not need your own attorney to file a claim.

Your Options at a Glance

• Submit a claim. Receive potential cash benefits if your claim is approved.
• Opt out. Exclude yourself so you can pursue your own lawsuit. You receive no benefits from this settlement.
• Object. Tell the court why you disagree, while remaining eligible for benefits if the settlement is approved.
• Do nothing. You stay in the class, release related claims against Warrior Met Coal and receive no benefits.

Can You Opt Out of the Warrior Met Coal Settlement?

Yes. The deadline to exclude yourself is December 7, 2026. Opting out means you won’t get settlement benefits, but you keep any right to bring your own legal claims over the data incident, subject to applicable legal requirements. Your written exclusion request must include:

• Your name, mailing address and telephone number
• Your email address, if you have one
• A clear statement asking to be excluded from the settlement
• Your personal signature

Mail it to:

Gibson v. Warrior Met Coal, Inc. c/o Kroll Settlement Administration ATTN: Exclusion Request P.O. Box 225391 New York, NY 10150-5391

It must be postmarked by December 7, 2026.

Can You Object to the Settlement?

Yes. The objection deadline is also December 7, 2026. An objection lets you tell the court why you think the settlement terms, the benefits or the requested attorneys’ fees should not be approved. The official FAQ requires objectors to provide identifying information, details showing class membership and a written explanation of the objection. Mail objections according to the official instructions to:

Gibson v. Warrior Met Coal, Inc. c/o Kroll Settlement Administration LLC ATTN: Settlement Objection P.O. Box 225391 New York, NY 10150-5391

Objecting does not remove you from the class. You can object and still submit a claim.

What Happens If You Do Nothing?

If you are an eligible class member and do nothing:

• You will not receive the $25 payment
• You will not receive documented-loss reimbursement
• You will not receive free credit monitoring through the settlement
• If the settlement becomes final, you will generally give up the legal claims covered by its release

Submitting a claim is the only way to get settlement benefits. The release applies to class members who stay in the settlement whether or not they claim a payment.

For another data breach settlement with a different benefit structure, see DotHouse Health Data Breach Class Action Settlement, $725,000 Fund, Up to $2,000 or an Estimated $40, Plus 2 Years of Credit Monitoring.

When Will Warrior Met Coal Settlement Payments Be Sent?

No payment date has been announced. The final approval hearing is March 15, 2027. According to published settlement reporting, approved payments are expected about 75 days after final approval, or within 30 days after an individual claim is approved, whichever is later. That timeline depends on the settlement becoming effective, court approval and possible appeals. Class members may be offered an electronic payment or a paper check, depending on the claim form and the administrator’s procedures. Don’t expect money right after the March hearing.

How to Protect Yourself After a Data Breach

Whether or not you file a claim, these steps are widely recommended, especially if your Social Security number was involved:

• Place a free security freeze with each credit bureau, and consider a fraud alert.
• Review your free credit reports regularly at AnnualCreditReport.com.
• Watch bank statements and medical or insurance statements for charges or claims you don’t recognize.
• Consider an IRS Identity Protection PIN to help prevent a fraudulent tax return.
• If you become a victim of identity theft, report it at IdentityTheft.gov and keep the report. It can support a fraud-loss claim.
• Be wary of emails, calls and texts that use details from the breach, and share your Class Member ID only with the official administrator.

Warrior Met Coal Settlement Timeline

Date	Development
July 17, 2023	Start of the settlement’s qualifying expense period
July 2023	Warrior Met Coal discovers the data incident
January 26, 2024	Douglas Gibson files federal class action
October 3, 2024	Judge allows several claims to proceed and dismisses the invasion-of-privacy claim
2026	Parties reach proposed settlement and the court authorizes notice
November 2026	Claims remain open
December 7, 2026	Exclusion and objection deadline
January 21, 2027	Final claim submission deadline
March 15, 2027	Final approval hearing
Payment date	To be determined after final approval

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Warrior Met Coal data breach settlement legitimate?

Yes. The settlement concerns Gibson v. Warrior Met Coal, Inc., Case No. 7:24-cv-00095, in federal court in Alabama. Kroll Settlement Administration runs the court-authorized settlement website.

Who qualifies?

Individuals in the United States who were sent notice that their personal information may have been compromised in the July 2023 Warrior Met Coal data incident.

How much money can I receive?

You may request $25 without documenting financial losses, or seek reimbursement for qualifying lost time, ordinary expenses and actual monetary losses, subject to a combined $2,500 limit.

Can I receive the $25 and $2,500 together?

No. The alternative $25 payment replaces the documented monetary-benefit options.

Is credit monitoring included?

Yes. Eligible class members can request one year of three-bureau identity theft protection and credit monitoring in addition to their chosen money benefit.

Is proof required for the $25 payment?

No financial-loss receipts are required, but you must submit a valid claim and meet the settlement’s eligibility requirements.

Can former employees qualify?

Yes. Former employees who received the breach notice may qualify.

What is the claim deadline?

January 21, 2027.

What is the exclusion deadline?

December 7, 2026.

Do I need a lawyer?

No. Eligible class members can submit claims directly through Kroll.

What if I lost my settlement notice?

Contact the administrator at 1-833-447-7515 for help.

Has Warrior Met Coal admitted wrongdoing?

No. Warrior Met Coal denies the plaintiff’s claims and maintains it did not violate the law.

Is the settlement final?

No. The final approval hearing is set for March 15, 2027.

Could my payment be reduced?

Possibly. Benefits are subject to the settlement agreement, and payments may be adjusted if total valid claims exceed the available funds.

When will checks arrive?

After final approval and the resolution of any appeals or other proceedings. No exact date is guaranteed.

What is the official settlement website?

coaldatasettlement.com

What Should Eligible Class Members Do Now?

If you got a Warrior Met Coal data breach notice, look at the benefits and decide which option fits you. If you had no documented loss, the $25 cash payment is the straightforward choice. If you spent time dealing with the breach, or had documented expenses or fraud losses, consider the reimbursement options. You can also request free credit monitoring.

Submit your claim by January 21, 2027. Anyone planning to opt out or object has to act sooner, by December 7, 2026. The settlement is still subject to final court approval, and no payment is guaranteed until the process is complete.

The Bottom Line

The Warrior Met Coal settlement gives people whose information may have been exposed in a 2023 data breach a way to be compensated: $25 without receipts, or up to $2,500 in combined documented losses, plus a year of credit monitoring. The $2,500 is a combined ceiling, not a stack of separate payments. A valid claim by January 21, 2027, is the only way to receive benefits.

Official Settlement Documents and Sources

1. Official Warrior Met Coal Data Breach Settlement Website. Eligibility, deadlines and claim submission.
2. Official Settlement FAQ. Benefit categories, documentation requirements, exclusions and final hearing.
3. Official Settlement Documents. Original complaint, settlement agreement, long-form notice, paper claim form and court order.
4. Submit a Warrior Met Coal Settlement Claim. Kroll’s official claim portal.
5. Long-Form Settlement Notice (PDF). Detailed settlement terms and legal rights.
6. Settlement Agreement (PDF). Agreement governing benefits and releases.
7. Original Class Action Complaint (PDF). Filed January 26, 2024.
8. Gibson v. Warrior Met Coal, Inc., October 3, 2024 Court Opinion. Ruling on the defendant’s motion to dismiss.
9. Federal Court Docket: Gibson v. Warrior Met Coal, Inc.. Case history and original filings.
10. Federal Trade Commission: IdentityTheft.gov. Official resources for reporting and recovering from identity theft.
11. Ala. Code § 8-38-1 et seq.; Fed. R. Civ. P. 23; 28 U.S.C. §§ 1332(d) and 1715; 15 U.S.C. §§ 45, 1681c-1 and 1681j; 45 C.F.R. §§ 164.400-414; 18 U.S.C. §§ 1028 and 1028A; Ala. Code §§ 6-2-34 and 6-2-38; TransUnion LLC v. Ramirez, 594 U.S. 413 (2021); Tsao v. Captiva MVP Restaurant Partners, LLC, 986 F.3d 1332 (11th Cir. 2021); Green-Cooper v. Brinker International, Inc., 73 F.4th 883 (11th Cir. 2023). State breach-notification, class action procedure, standing and consumer-protection background.

Research and authorship: Researched and written by Israr Ahmad for AllAboutLawyer.com using the official Kroll settlement administrator website, the federal court complaint, the published court opinion and settlement documents.

Verification note: The official settlement website and FAQ confirm the class definition, benefit amounts, documentation requirements, deadlines and administrator contact information. The settlement’s PDF links returned document-retrieval pages rather than directly readable PDF content during this review, so PDF-specific provisions were cross-checked against the administrator FAQ and public reporting. The October 2024 federal court opinion was reviewed separately. The official agreement and notice control if a summary differs.

Disclaimer: AllAboutLawyer.com is an independent legal-information website, not a law firm. This article provides general information about a proposed class action settlement, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Individual eligibility and payments depend on the settlement terms, valid claims and final court approval. Always use the official administrator website before submitting personal or financial information.