Reported to the MA Attorney General on April 24, 2025.
MA residents may qualify for compensation. Free attorney review — no obligation, no upfront cost.
Check My Rights →As a healthcare organization, The University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School was entrusted with some of the most sensitive data a person can share. According to a MA state filing, The University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School experienced a data security incident affecting an undisclosed number of individuals, exposing protected health information and medical records. Legal proceedings relating to this breach are ongoing.
The healthcare industry faces mounting regulatory scrutiny following a wave of ransomware attacks and insider data theft. The University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School was required to maintain safeguards under both HIPAA and the Massachusetts Data Security Law (201 CMR 17.00), yet the breach suggests those obligations were not adequately met. Affected individuals have the right to request an accounting of exactly what was disclosed.
The University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School appears to be an educational institution and academic health sciences center that combines medical education with patient care and clinical research. In the course of operating its educational programs, research facilities, and clinical operations, the institution typically collects and stores sensitive personal information, including names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, medical record numbers, and health insurance details for students, patients, and employees. Official records indicate that a data breach affecting this information was reported to the Massachusetts Attorney General in 2025. If you received a data breach notification letter, it means your personal information may have been involved in this security incident. This page provides an overview of the situation to help you understand what occurred and what steps you can take to protect your data.
Based on the data types reported in this filing, affected individuals face the following specific risks:
Your SSN is the master key to your identity. Once exposed, criminals can open new lines of credit, take out loans, or file taxes in your name.
Combined with a name and other leaked data, date of birth helps criminals pass identity verification questions at banks and government agencies.
Home address exposure can enable mail theft, package fraud, and targeted phishing attacks that reference your known location.
Under the Massachusetts Data Security Law (201 CMR 17.00), you may have a legal claim against The University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School if any of the following apply:
Applicable law: This breach was reported under the Massachusetts Data Security Law (201 CMR 17.00), which establishes your right to seek damages from The University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School.
The hours spent responding to a data breach — canceling accounts, contacting credit bureaus, updating passwords, and investigating fraud — represent compensable economic harm in data breach litigation.
Once your SSN is exposed, protection becomes an ongoing expense. Plaintiffs in data breach settlements have recovered costs for credit freezes, identity protection subscriptions, and time spent dealing with fraudulent accounts — sometimes covering multiple years of exposure.
HIPAA violations carry civil penalties between $100 and $50,000 per violation. Where a healthcare organization's negligence led to the exposure of protected health information, class members may recover statutory damages in addition to actual losses.
Data breach victims regularly report anxiety, loss of sleep, and ongoing fear of identity theft. These non-economic harms are cognizable injuries in data breach litigation, particularly in cases involving SSN or medical record exposure.
No. Under Massachusetts Data Security Law (201 CMR 17.00) and federal law, the unauthorized exposure of your personal data — regardless of whether it has been actively misused — can be sufficient grounds for a claim. The breach itself is the injury.
Nothing. The Law Office of David S. Harris handles data breach cases on contingency — you pay zero upfront and owe nothing unless compensation is recovered.
Immediately place a free credit freeze at all three bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion). A freeze blocks new accounts from being opened in your name. Then file a complaint with the FTC at IdentityTheft.gov and contact our office — SSN exposure is one of the most serious breach types.
If The University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School is a covered healthcare entity or business associate under HIPAA, affected patients have additional rights — including the right to an HHS complaint. These HIPAA violations also strengthen civil damages claims. Consult an attorney to understand your full remedies.
Statutes of limitations for data breach claims vary by state but typically run 2–4 years. Depending on when you learned of the breach, you may still have time. Contact our office for a free eligibility review — there is no cost to find out.
Accepting free credit monitoring from The University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School does not waive your right to pursue legal action unless you signed a specific release waiving claims. In most cases, victims who accepted monitoring can still file.
Not necessarily. Many data breach victims are never notified directly. If your personal information was held by The University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School during the relevant period, you may still qualify even without receiving a letter. A free eligibility review can confirm your status.
Received a notification letter from The University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School?
Read our dedicated guide — what the letter means and exactly what to do.
If you were affected by the The University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School data breach, you may be entitled to compensation. Submit your information below for a free attorney review — no obligation, no upfront cost.
Source: State Attorney General filing, MA
View Official AG Filing →The University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School breach?
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