If Western Montana Clinic notified you that your health information may have been exposed in its 2025 email breach, you can file for a year of medical data monitoring, up to $60 for lost time, and up to $5,000 for documented losses.
What Is This Settlement About?
Western Montana Clinic ("WMC") is a multi-specialty medical clinic based in Missoula, Montana. According to the court-approved notice, on or about April 15, 2025, WMC determined that an unauthorized third party had accessed a certain WMC employee email account between March 11, 2025 and April 15, 2025 (the "Data Incident"). Following its investigation, WMC mailed notification letters to approximately 9,506 individuals whose contact information, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, treating physicians, internal identification numbers, dates of service, medication information, and treatment or diagnostic information may have been implicated in the incident.After the notification letters went out, separate lawsuits were filed against WMC over the Data Incident; those suits were dismissed and refiled as the current consolidated case, Murphy v. Western Montana Clinic, Case No. DV-32-2026-0000056-OC, pending in the Fourth Judicial District Court of Montana, Missoula County. The court has not decided in favor of either side. Both parties agreed to settle to avoid the risk, delay, and uncertainty of continued litigation, and WMC has not admitted any wrongdoing.
Under the settlement, class members who submit a valid Claim Form can receive one year of medical data monitoring, reimbursement for lost time, and reimbursement of documented out-of-pocket losses. The claim deadline is September 15, 2026. This page explains who qualifies, what you can get, and how to file.
Who Qualifies?
The court defined the Settlement Class as all individuals whose Personal Health Information was potentially impacted in the Data Incident experienced by WMC, including all those who were sent notice of the Data Incident. WMC mailed notification to approximately 9,506 people and also provided substitute notice.Excluded from the class are WMC and its affiliates, parents, subsidiaries, directors, officers, and agents; governmental entities; the judges assigned to the case, their immediate families, and court staff; anyone who perpetrated the Data Incident; and anyone who validly excludes themselves from the settlement. If you are not sure whether you are included, you can confirm your status through the official settlement website.
How Much Can You Get?
There are three benefits you can claim on a single Claim Form:Medical Data Monitoring — one year of CyEx Medical Shield Pro monitoring, administered through CyEx. If your claim is approved, the settlement administrator will email you activation instructions after the settlement becomes final.
Reimbursement for Lost Time — up to three hours of time spent responding to the Data Incident at $20 per hour, for a maximum of $60 per class member. You must describe the actions you took in response to the incident and attest under penalty of perjury that the time was spent responding to it; no receipts are required for this benefit.
Reimbursement for Documented Out-of-Pocket Losses — up to $5,000 for documented out-of-pocket losses reasonably related to the Data Incident and incurred between March 11, 2025 and September 15, 2026. Claims must include reasonable documentation contemporaneously generated or prepared by a third party, such as receipts, data or fax charges, postage, copying costs, mileage, or per-minute cell phone charges. Self-prepared documents, personal certifications, declarations, or affidavits do not count as reasonable documentation on their own, though they may be included to add context. Losses already reimbursed by another source — including compensation provided through the credit monitoring or identity-theft protection offered with WMC's notification letter — are not eligible.
The notice does not state a total settlement fund amount. WMC has separately agreed to pay settlement administration costs, attorneys' fees and costs of up to $165,000, and service awards of up to $2,500 for each of the two class representatives — amounts that will not reduce the benefits paid to class members who file valid claims.
How to File a Claim
The deadline to submit a Claim Form is September 15, 2026, whether filed online or postmarked by mail. The fastest way to file is online at the official settlement website, WMC Settlement.com. To log in to the online claim portal you must enter the Notice ID and Confirmation Code printed on the personalized notice you received by mail or email, exactly as they appear on your notice.You can also download and print a Claim Form from the Important Documents page of the settlement website and submit it by mail, or request that a paper form be sent to you through the settlement website's contact page. Mailed Claim Forms must be postmarked by September 15, 2026, and supporting documentation will not be returned, so send copies rather than originals.
On the form you select how you want to be paid: PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, a virtual prepaid card, or a physical check mailed to the address you provide. If your contact or payment information changes after you file, it is your responsibility to update the settlement administrator through the official settlement website; including your Notice ID or Claim Number with any request helps the administrator identify you.
Key Deadlines
- File a claim: September 15, 2026
- Exclude yourself (opt out): August 17, 2026
- Object to the settlement: August 17, 2026
- Final approval hearing: September 9, 2026 at 10:30 a.m. MDT (Missoula County Courthouse)
If you do nothing, you remain in the Settlement Class and give up your right to sue WMC and the released parties over the Data Incident, but you will not receive any settlement benefits. Excluding yourself is the only way to keep your right to sue, and if you opt out you cannot receive benefits or object. Benefits are issued only after the court grants final approval and the settlement becomes final; the approval process can take time, and appeals may delay distribution.
Attorneys' Fees and Service Awards
The court appointed John Heenan of Heenan & Cook, PLLC in Billings, Montana as class counsel. Class counsel will ask the court to approve attorneys' fees and litigation costs of up to $165,000, plus service awards of up to $2,500 for each of the two class representatives ($5,000 total). The court may approve less than these amounts, and whatever it approves is paid separately by WMC and does not reduce the benefits available to class members.Frequently Asked Questions
Who qualifies for the Western Montana Clinic data breach settlement?
You qualify if your Personal Health Information was potentially impacted in the data incident Western Montana Clinic experienced between approximately March 11, 2025 and April 15, 2025, including if you were sent notice of the incident. WMC mailed notification letters to approximately 9,506 people. Excluded are WMC and its affiliates, governmental entities, the judges assigned to the case and their staff, anyone who perpetrated the incident, and anyone who validly opts out.
What can I get from the Western Montana Clinic settlement?
Settlement Class Members who submit a valid Claim Form can receive one year of CyEx Medical Shield Pro medical data monitoring, reimbursement for up to three hours of lost time at $20 per hour (up to $60 total), and reimbursement of up to $5,000 for documented out-of-pocket losses reasonably related to the data incident.
Do I need proof to file a Western Montana Clinic claim?
Yes. Filing online requires the Notice ID and Confirmation Code printed on the personalized notice you received by mail or email, and the paper Claim Form also asks for your Notice ID. Lost-time claims are made under penalty of perjury with a description of the actions you took, while out-of-pocket loss claims must include reasonable third-party documentation such as receipts; self-prepared documents alone are not enough.
What is the deadline to file a Western Montana Clinic claim?
Claim Forms must be submitted online or postmarked by September 15, 2026. The deadline to exclude yourself or object is August 17, 2026, and the final approval hearing is scheduled for September 9, 2026 at the Missoula County Courthouse.
How will I receive my Western Montana Clinic settlement payment?
If the court grants final approval, payments are issued using the method you select on your Claim Form — PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, a virtual prepaid card, or a physical check. If you claim medical data monitoring, the administrator will email you activation instructions after the settlement becomes final.
Is the Western Montana Clinic data breach settlement legitimate?
Yes. It is a court-authorized settlement in Murphy v. Western Montana Clinic, Case No. DV-32-2026-0000056-OC, pending in the Fourth Judicial District Court of Montana, Missoula County, and administered by Angeion Group. File only through the official settlement website; a legitimate administrator will never ask you to pay a fee or share banking passwords to release a payment.
What information was involved in the Western Montana Clinic data breach?
According to the court-approved notice, the information that may have been implicated includes contact information, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, treating physicians, internal identification numbers, dates of service, medication information, and treatment or diagnostic information. WMC has not admitted wrongdoing, and no court has decided who is right.
Watch Out for Scams
Legitimate settlement administrators do not charge a fee to release a class action payment, and they will not ask for your banking passwords or a "processing payment" by text or phone. File only through the official settlement website linked on this page, and ignore unsolicited messages demanding money or sensitive credentials to "release" your check. To compare this case with others, see our roundup of open data breach settlements and our explainer on how a data breach class action works.Sources
- Murphy v. Western Montana Clinic — Official Settlement Website
- Notice of Proposed Class Action Settlement, Murphy v. Western Montana Clinic, No. DV-32-2026-0000056-OC (Mont. 4th Judicial Dist. Ct., Missoula County)
