Lawsuit filed against Kettering Health after cyberattack – Dayton Daily News

it; we’re motivated to help the people,” said attorney Richard Schulte during a press conference at the Wright & Schulte law office in Vandalia.Schulte and his law firm partner, attorney Michael Wright, are concerned Kettering Health has “put profits before people” during the network’s response to the debilitating technology breach, Schulte said.The class-action lawsuit, filed last week in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court, alleges that Kettering Health was well aware of the potential dangers of a data breach, failed to take the necessary steps to protect patients’ data, and did not adhere to regulatory guidance and standard cybersecurity practices.Earlier this month, the ransomware group Interlock claimed responsibility for the cyberattack, stating on its data leak site that it had obtained over 730,000 files from Kettering Health. These files are said to contain identification cards, payment data, financial documents, and other sensitive information.The lawsuit argues that the breach has caused numerous victims with serious health issues to miss crucial medical appointments and treatments, ranging from patients with broken bones unable to get physical therapy due to inaccessible X-rays to those with advanced cancer needing treatment but having to restart diagnostic tests at another medical facility.The lawsuit seeks monetary damages, restitution, and/or injunctive relief for the co-plaintiffs, presenting a “task of last resort” for patients, according to Schulte and Wright. They hope that by maintaining pressure on Kettering Health, the focus will shift to patient care and data recovery.Kettering Health declined to comment on the pending litigation but provided an update on services, stating that care operations, including radiation oncology services, were back to normal. Patients could use MyChart to contact providers, schedule appointments, refill prescriptions, and more. Those with canceled appointments were being contacted by care teams for rescheduling, although high volumes were causing delays. The patient portal MyChart was partially restored for appointment scheduling, prescription viewing, message sending, and test result viewing.Kettering Health has 14 medical centers and over 120 outpatient locations in Western Ohio, along with the Kettering Physician Network comprising more than 700 board-certified providers. For further details on the cybersecurity incident, an FAQ page is available on Kettering Health’s website.