Alpine Ear, Nose, & Throat, a Fort Collins, Colorado-based healthcare provider, has finalized a settlement of a class action lawsuit tied to a 2024 data breach reported to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights as affecting 65,648 individuals.
Breach Identification and Report
The security incident was identified on November 26, 2024. The data breach was later announced on January 17, 2025. The incident involved unauthorized access to data systems containing patient and financial information. The breached data set included names, dates of birth, demographic information, medical information, health information, financial account information, credit card numbers, CVC codes, expiration dates, and Social Security numbers.
The data mining process related to the incident was completed on October 9, 2025. Notification to affected individuals occurred on January 30, 2026, approximately 14 months after the breach was first identified.
Litigation Proceedings
A class action lawsuit was filed shortly after the breach announcement. The initial filing was submitted by Plaintiff Deborah Knoll in the District Court of Denver County, Colorado. The case was filed in response to allegations connected to the data breach and its handling.
On March 13, 2025, the lawsuit was voluntarily dismissed. Plaintiff Anthony Pfirrman was substituted as the named plaintiff. The defendant requested the transfer of the case, titled Pfirrman v. Alpine Ear, Nose, & Throat, PLLC, to the District Court for Larimer County, Colorado.
The plaintiff alleged failure to implement reasonable security measures to protect sensitive data on the network. Claims included invasion of privacy, negligence, negligence per se, breach of implied contract, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of confidence, unjust enrichment, and declaratory judgment. The defendant denied the allegations and denied liability across all claims stated in the HIPAA violation-related lawsuits.
Settlement Terms and Court Process
The parties entered discussions to resolve the matter without proceeding to trial. Mediation took place in November 2025, resulting in agreement on material settlement terms. The settlement has been finalized and received preliminary court approval.
Under the agreement, Alpine Ear, Nose, & Throat will pay attorneys’ fees and costs up to $330,000. A service award of $2,500 is allocated for the class representative.
The settlement also establishes benefits for class members. These include two years of credit and medical monitoring services through CyEx Medical Shield Complete. The agreement allows reimbursement of documented, unreimbursed losses related to the breach up to $5,000 per class member. Compensation is also available for lost time, capped at four hours at a rate of $20 per hour. Class members who do not submit claims for reimbursement or lost time compensation may instead elect a one-time cash payment of $50.
Deadlines and Class Member Actions
Class members have defined timelines to participate or object to the settlement. The deadline to object to the settlement or exclude oneself is June 23, 2026. The deadline for submitting claims is July 23, 2026. A final fairness hearing is scheduled for August 11, 2026.