Published
October 24, 2026
People whose personal information was affected in the July 2024 cyberattack on Blue Ridge Rural Water Company, Inc. may qualify to claim a $50 cash payment, or instead reimbursement of documented losses of up to $500 for ordinary expenses and up to $2,500 for fraud or identity theft, plus two years of credit monitoring, from the Blue Ridge Rural Water data breach class action settlement. Claims close January 14, 2027.
Current Status
Claims are open. The deadline is January 14, 2027, for online claims and for mailed claim forms, which must be postmarked by that date; the settlement website does not specify a time of day or timezone. The South Carolina Court of Common Pleas for Greenville County granted preliminary approval on September 16, 2026, and the final approval hearing is scheduled for February 22, 2027. No final approval order has been entered and no payment date has been announced as of October 24, 2026.Free settlement alerts
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Status
Claims Open
Final approval hearing February 22, 2027
Claim Deadline
January 14, 2027
Submitted online or postmarked by this date
Estimated Payout
$50 cash
Or up to $500 + up to $2,500 in documented losses instead · plus 2 years of credit monitoring
Proof Required
Yes — ID to file online
LoginID & PIN from the notice to open the online form · no receipts for the $50
What Changed Recently?
Blue Ridge Rural Water Company, Inc., a water company based in Greer, South Carolina, agreed to settle a class action over a July 2024 cyberattack on its corporate network. In its 2024 notice letter, the company said it detected unusual activity on July 23, 2024, and that an unauthorized actor viewed and obtained files stored on certain servers; it said its water management and delivery systems were not involved. The settlement notice says the files may have contained names, Social Security numbers and direct deposit account numbers.The lawsuit, Lawrence v. Blue Ridge Rural Water Company, Inc., was filed on May 20, 2025, alleging that the company failed to adequately protect the information. The complaint asserted negligence, breach of implied contract, unjust enrichment, invasion of privacy and related claims. Blue Ridge moved to dismiss the case, denies that it did anything wrong, and the court has not decided who is right. The parties reached the settlement after a mediation, and Judge Jessica A. Salvini signed the order granting preliminary approval on September 16, 2026. Notices were scheduled to go out by October 16, 2026, which opened the claim period.
Who Qualifies?
The court defined the settlement class as all individuals residing in the United States whose personal information was impacted in the data incident affecting Blue Ridge on or around July 2024, including everyone who received notice of the incident. The settlement agreement says the class contains approximately 16,360 people, and the settlement website describes class members as individuals identified in Blue Ridge’s records.Blue Ridge and its officers, directors and related companies, the judge assigned to the case and the judge’s family and staff, anyone who opts out, and anyone who carried out the cyberattack are excluded.
How Much Can You Get?
Each class member chooses one cash option. The two options cannot be combined.- Alternative Cash Payment: a one-time $50, with no documentation or explanation required.
- Ordinary out-of-pocket losses: reimbursement of up to $500 for documented expenses caused by the data incident, such as fees for credit reports, credit monitoring or credit freezes, the cost of replacing IDs, and postage, notary, copying, mileage and similar costs.
- Extraordinary out-of-pocket losses: reimbursement of up to $2,500 for documented losses from fraud or identity theft.
The ordinary and extraordinary tiers sit together on the out-of-pocket side; the online claim page describes claims for “Ordinary and/or Extraordinary” losses. Either way, the losses must have occurred between July 23, 2024, and January 14, 2027, and must not already have been reimbursed by someone else.
Every class member who files a claim can also enroll in two years of three-bureau credit monitoring through CyEx Financial Shield Total, which includes $1 million in fraud insurance. Monitoring can be added to either cash option.
There is no settlement fund figure. The settlement agreement says Blue Ridge will pay all timely and valid claims with no aggregate cap, so the amounts above are not reduced pro rata; each is a per-person limit. Attorneys’ fees, the class representative’s service award and administration costs are paid by Blue Ridge separately.
What Proof or Notice ID Is Required?
The online claim form will not open without a LoginID and PIN. The claim page states that both are printed on the notice sent to class members, and it returns “LoginID is required” and “PIN is required” when either field is left blank. That makes this a proof-required settlement even for the $50 payment, which needs no receipts.Class members without their credentials can ask the settlement administrator to resend them, giving their full name and mailing address, using the contact details listed on the settlement website’s Contact page. A printable claim form can also be downloaded and mailed; it asks for the Login ID only “if known,” which is the paper-form route around the online login screen.
The documented-loss tiers require third-party records, such as receipts or bank statements. Self-prepared notes may be added to explain other proof but are not enough on their own. Under the settlement agreement, a documented-loss claim that lacks sufficient proof and is not cured is paid as the $50 Alternative Cash Payment instead.
What Is the Deadline?
Online claims must be submitted by January 14, 2027. Mailed claim forms, with any supporting documents, must be postmarked no later than January 14, 2027. The settlement website and notice give a date only, with no time of day or timezone.The deadline to opt out of the settlement, or to object to it, is January 25, 2027.
How Do You Take Action?
Claims are filed on the official Blue Ridge data settlement claim page, which opens with a LoginID and PIN from the notice. The claim form asks the claimant to choose a cash option, check a box for credit monitoring if wanted, and pick a payment method; documented-loss claims also need the supporting records attached.The paper claim form is available on the settlement website’s Important Documents page. Only one claim form, online or paper, is allowed per person.
What Happens Next?
Judge Salvini is scheduled to hold the final approval hearing on February 22, 2027, at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time at the Greenville County Courthouse. The court will decide whether to approve the settlement, the request for attorneys’ fees of up to $225,000 and the service award of up to $5,000. The hearing date can change without further notice, and changes are posted on the settlement website.Payments will be distributed only if the court grants final approval and after any appeals are resolved. The settlement agreement provides for payment by check or electronic means; the claim form offers PayPal, Venmo, Zelle or a paper check. Checks expire if not cashed within 90 days of their issue date.
Sources and Verification
- Official settlement website, including the FAQ, the Important Dates page and the online claim form (Simpluris)
- Long Form Notice
- Settlement Agreement and Release
- Order Granting Preliminary Approval (signed September 16, 2026)
- Claim Form
- Blue Ridge Rural Water Company’s 2024 notice letter, as filed with the Vermont Attorney General
The case is pending in South Carolina state court, so it does not appear in the federal PACER system or on CourtListener. Class counsel is Cassandra P. Miller of Strauss Borrelli PLLC.
OpenClassActions.com is a consumer news and information site, not a law firm. This article is general information about the Blue Ridge Rural Water data breach settlement. It is not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship.
Questions
Can a class member claim both the $50 payment and documented losses?
No. The settlement agreement allows either reimbursement of documented out-of-pocket losses or the $50 Alternative Cash Payment, not both. The two documented tiers, up to $500 for ordinary expenses and up to $2,500 for fraud or identity-theft losses, are both on the out-of-pocket side. Two years of credit monitoring can be added to either choice.
What happens if a documented-loss claim is rejected for missing paperwork?
Under the settlement agreement, a class member who claims ordinary or extraordinary losses but does not supply sufficient third-party documentation, and does not cure the deficiency, automatically receives the $50 Alternative Cash Payment instead.
Is there a total settlement fund that could reduce payments?
No fund figure is set. The settlement agreement says Blue Ridge Rural Water Company will pay all timely and valid claims, with no aggregate cap, so the published amounts are not reduced pro rata. Each benefit still has its own per-person limit.
How are settlement payments sent?
The claim form offers PayPal, Venmo, Zelle or a paper check. Under the settlement agreement, checks expire if they are not cashed within 90 days of their issue date. Payments go out only if the court grants final approval and any appeals are resolved.
Who pays the attorneys’ fees in the Blue Ridge Rural Water settlement?
Class counsel will ask the court for up to $225,000 in attorneys’ fees and costs and a service award of up to $5,000 for the class representative. Blue Ridge Rural Water Company pays those amounts separately, so they do not come out of class members’ benefits. The court decides the request at the final approval hearing.
For more class actions keep scrolling below.
Settlement Amount
No set fund · valid claims paid with no aggregate cap
Case Title
Lawrence v. Blue Ridge Rural Water Company, Inc.
Case Number
2025-CP-23-03210
Court
South Carolina Court of Common Pleas, Greenville County (Thirteenth Judicial Circuit)
Final Approval Hearing
February 22, 2027 at 9:30 AM ET
Greenville County Courthouse · Judge Jessica A. Salvini
Administrator
Simpluris, Inc.
Official Website
Blue Ridge Data Settlement
