Class action lawsuit filed against RI's largest workers' comp insurer

A class-action lawsuit was filed on Friday against Warwick-based Beacon Mutual Insurance Company, the state's largest workers' compensation insurer, following a ransomware attack that compromised the personal information of approximately 162,000 individuals. The breach occurred on January 7 and 14, 2026, when an unauthorized person gained access to the company's computer network and acquired files containing sensitive data. Beacon initially notified affected customers on May 18, 2026, more than four months after the breach was discovered. The lawsuit alleges that Beacon failed to properly secure and safeguard the sensitive personal identifiable information it stored. It claims that victims have suffered financial losses, out-of-pocket expenses, and the value of time spent mitigating the attack's effects. The suit also warns that the stolen information could be used for various crimes, including opening financial accounts, taking out loans, filing fraudulent tax returns, and obtaining driver's licenses. The lawsuit seeks actual and compensatory damages for the victims and requires Beacon to pay for lifetime credit monitoring services. It was filed by former state Rep. Peter Wasylyk and lawyers from the Washington, D.C., law firm Mason & Perry.

(Source：Providence Journal (Projo))