1. Why was a notice issued?
2. What is this lawsuit about?
3. What is a class action?
4. Why is there a settlement?
5. Who is included in the Settlement?
6. Are there exceptions to being included?
7. What does the Settlement provide?
8. What claims am I releasing if I stay in the Settlement Class?
9. How do I submit a claim for a Settlement benefit?
10. Are there any important Settlement payment deadlines?
11. When will the Settlement benefits be issued?
12. Do I have a lawyer in the case?
13. Should I get my own lawyer?
14. How will Class Counsel be paid?
15. How do I opt-out of the Settlement?
16. How do I tell the Court if I like or do not like the Settlement?
17. What is the difference between objecting and opting out?
18. When is the Court’s Final Approval Hearing?
19. Do I have to come to the Final Approval Hearing?
20. What happens if I do nothing at all?
21. How do I get more information?
The Superior Court of Orange County, California, authorized a notice. You have a right to know about the proposed Settlement of this class action lawsuit, and about all of your options, before the Court decides whether to grant final approval of the Settlement. The Notice explains the lawsuit, your legal rights, what benefits are available, and who can receive them.
The lawsuit is called Machado v. CR&R Incorporated, Case No. 30-2025-01450762-CU-NP-CXC. It is pending in the Superior Court of Orange County, California. The person that filed this lawsuit is called the “Plaintiff” (or “Class Representative”) and the company they sued, CR&R Incorporated, is called the “Defendant.”
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This lawsuit alleges that during the December 13, 2022, targeted cyberattack on CR&R's computer systems, certain files that contained private information were accessed. These files may have contained personal information such as names, Social Security numbers, financial account information, and health insurance information.
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In a class action, one or more individuals sue on behalf of other people with similar claims. These individuals are called the “Plaintiffs” or “Class Representatives.” Together, the people included in the class action are members of the “Settlement Class.” One court resolves the lawsuit for all Settlement Class members, except for those who opt-out from the Settlement. In this Settlement, the Class Representative is Eric Machado, and everyone included in this Action are the Settlement Class members.
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The Court did not decide whether the Plaintiff or the Defendant is right. Both sides have agreed to a settlement to avoid the costs and risks of a trial, and to allow the Settlement Class members to receive benefits from the Settlement. The Plaintiff and his attorneys think the Settlement is best for all Settlement Class members.
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The Court has defined the Settlement Class this way: “All living individuals residing in the United States who were sent a notice of the Data Incident indicating their Private Information may have been impacted in the Data Incident.”
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Yes. Excluded from the Settlement Class are: (1) all persons who are directors, officers, and agents of CR&R, or their respective subsidiaries and affiliated companies; (2) governmental entities; and (3) the Judge assigned to the Action, that Judge’s immediate family, and Court staff.
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CR&R will establish a Settlement Fund of $500,000.00. The Settlement Fund will first be used to pay court-approved attorneys’ fees (up to $150,000.00) and costs (up to $2,000.00), a service award for the Plaintiff (up to $3,000.00), and the costs of administering the Settlement (not to exceed $45,000.00). The rest of the Settlement Fund will be used to pay for Settlement Class Member Benefits.
All Settlement Class members may enroll in Credit Monitoring Services and select one of two Cash Payment options. These benefits are explained below.
Credit Monitoring Services
All Settlement Class members may enroll in two years of credit monitoring by the three credit bureaus.
Cash Payment Options
Cash Payment A - Documented Losses. If you incurred actual, documented out-of-pocket losses due to the Data Incident, you can get back up to $5,000.00. The losses must have occurred between December 13, 2022, and August 24, 2026.
This benefit covers out-of-pocket expenses like:
losses because of identity theft or fraud
fees for credit reports, credit monitoring, or freezing and unfreezing your credit
cost to replace your IDs
postage to contact banks by mail
You will not be reimbursed for these expenses if you have been reimbursed for the same expenses by another source.
You need to send proof, like bank statements or receipts, to show how much you spent or lost. You can also send notes or papers you made yourself to explain or support other proof, but those notes or papers alone are not enough to make a valid claim.
Cash Payment B – Alternate Cash. Instead of the benefits in Option A, you may claim a one-time cash payment. This payment is expected to be approximately $150.00, but may be smaller or larger depending on the number of claims that are filed. You do not have to provide any proof or explanation to claim this payment.
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If you stay in the Settlement Class, you won’t be able to be part of any other lawsuit against CR&R about the issues this Settlement covers. The “Releases” section of the Settlement Agreement (Section XIII) describes the legal claims that you give up if you remain in the Settlement Class. The Settlement Agreement is available here.
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The fastest way to submit your Claim Form is online here. If you prefer, you can download a printable Claim Form here mail it to the Settlement Administrator at:
CR&R Data Incident Settlement
c/o Settlement Administrator
P.O. Box 25226
Santa Ana, CA 92799-9958
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If you are submitting a Claim Form online here, you must do so by August 24, 2026. If you are downloading a Claim Form here and submitting a Claim Form by U.S. mail, the completed and signed Claim Form, including supporting documentation, must be postmarked no later than August 24, 2026.
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The Court will hold a Final Approval Hearing on September 14, 2026 (see FAQ 18). If the Court approves the Settlement, there may be appeals. We do not know if appeals will be filed, or how long it will take to resolve them if they are filed.
Settlement payments will be distributed if the Court grants final approval, and after any appeals are resolved.
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Yes, the Court appointed attorneys Jeff Ostrow and Kristen Lake Cardoso of Kopelowitz Ostrow P.A. to represent you and other Settlement Class members (“Class Counsel”).
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You will not be charged for Class Counsel’s services. If you want your own lawyer, you may hire one at your expense.
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Class Counsel will ask the Court to award attorneys’ fees of up to 30% of the Settlement Fund (i.e., $150,000.00), plus reimbursement of costs of up to $2,000.00, which will be paid from the Settlement Fund.
Class Counsel will also ask the Court to award the Class Representative up to $3,000.00 (“Service Award”) in recognition of the time and effort he expended in pursuing this Action and in fulfilling his obligations and responsibilities as Class Representative, which will also be paid from the Settlement Fund.
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If you do not want to be part of the Settlement, you must formally exclude yourself from, or “opt-out” of, the Settlement. If you opt-out, you will not receive Settlement benefits or payment. However, you will keep any rights you may have to sue CR&R on your own about the legal issues in this case.
If you opt-out of the Settlement, you are telling the Court that you do not want to be part of the Settlement. You will not be eligible to receive any Settlement benefits if you opt-out.
The deadline to opt-out of the Settlement is August 8, 2026.
To opt-out, you may check the box on the Postcard Notice stating that you wish to opt-out of the Settlement and mail it to Settlement Administrator or you may submit your opt-out request online here. You may only exclude yourself—not any other person.
Your request to opt-out must be submitted or postmarked by August 8, 2026.
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If you are a Settlement Class member and do not like part of or all of the Settlement, you can object to it. Objecting means telling the Court why you think the Court should not approve the Settlement. The Court will consider your views. You may object in writing pursuant to the instructions below, or you may orally object or otherwise offer comments about the Settlement at the Final Approval Hearing.
You cannot object if you have opted out of the Settlement (see Question 15).
You may submit a written objection, which must provide the following information:
the name of the Action: Machado v. CR&R Incorporated, Case No. 30-2025-01450762-CU-NP-CXC, pending in the Superior Court of Orange County, California;
your full name, mailing address, telephone number, and email address;
all grounds for the objection, accompanied by any legal support for the objection;
the identity of all counsel who represent you, including any former or current counsel who may be entitled to compensation for any reason related to your objection;
the identity of all counsel (if any) representing you, and whether they will appear at the final approval hearing;
a list of all persons who will be called to testify at the final approval hearing in support of the objection (if any);
a statement confirming whether you intend to personally appear and/or testify at the final approval hearing;
your signature (if you have hired your own lawyer, your lawyer’s signature is not sufficient).
For your written objection to be valid, it must meet each of these requirements.
For your written objection to be considered by the Court, you must mail it to the Settlement Administrator, at the address below:
CR&R Data Incident Settlement
ATTN: Objections
P.O. Box 25226
Santa Ana, CA 92799-9958
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Objecting is telling the Court that you do not like something about the Settlement. You can object to the Settlement only if you do not opt-out of the Settlement. Opting out is excluding yourself from the Settlement and stating to the Court that you do not want to be part of the Settlement. If you opt-out of the Settlement, you cannot object to it because the Settlement no longer affects you.
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The Court will hold a Final Approval Hearing on September 14, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time, in Division CX103 of the Superior Court of Orange County, California, at the Civil Complex Center, 751 W. Santa Ana Blvd., Santa Ana, CA 92701 (“Final Approval Hearing”).
At the Final Approval Hearing, the Court will decide whether to approve the Settlement. The Court will also decide how Class Counsel should be paid, and whether to award a Service Award to the Class Representative. The Court will also consider any objections to the Settlement.
If you are a Settlement Class Member, you or your lawyer may ask permission to speak at the Final Approval Hearing at your own cost (see FAQ 16).
The date and time of this hearing may change without further notice. Please check this website for updates.
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No. Class Counsel will answer any questions the Court may have. You may attend at your own expense if you wish, but you do not have to.
If you file an objection, you do not have to come to the Final Approval Hearing to talk about it; the Court will consider it as long as it was filed on time. You may also pay your own lawyer to attend, but you do not have to.
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If you do nothing, you will not receive a benefit from this Settlement. You will also give up the rights described in FAQ 8.
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This website and the Notice are a summary of the proposed Settlement. The full Settlement Agreement and other related documents are available on the Important Documents page.
You can obtain copies of publicly filed documents by visiting the office of the Clerk of the Court, Civil Complex Center, 751 W. Santa Ana Blvd., Santa Ana, CA 92701.
Do not contact the Court or Clerk of Court regarding this Settlement.
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