Erie Insurance is now facing two separate class action lawsuits tied to an alleged data breach, even as the company continues its internal investigation into the reported cybersecurity incident.
The lawsuits were filed by two individuals: Neil Plascencia, a policyholder from Illinois, and Amy Haas, a former employee based in Wisconsin. Both plaintiffs allege that Erie failed to adequately safeguard their personally identifiable information (PII) and are each seeking $5 million in damages for the alleged negligence.
The suits claim that a ransomware attack occurred on June 7, allowing unauthorized access to Erie’s internal systems and compromising private data. Though Erie has not officially confirmed a data breach or ransomware incident, both legal filings reference a report from Google’s Threat Intelligence Group. That report suggests that the cybercriminal collective known as Scattered Spider may be behind the intrusion. The group, previously associated with attacks on U.S. and U.K. retail businesses, is believed to be expanding its focus to include insurance companies.
As of now, Erie Insurance has maintained that its IT team discovered “unusual activity” on its network on Saturday, June 7, and took immediate steps to protect its data and systems. Since then, core services including email, phone communications, and online application access have been disrupted.
One of the plaintiffs, Neil Plascencia, claims he received a notification from Erie via email in June, informing him that his personal data may have been exposed during the incident.
In its latest public statement, dated June 14, Erie said it was continuing to make “steady progress” in restoring its digital infrastructure. The company has yet to offer specific details on the nature or scope of the event.
“Our teams—working in collaboration with top-tier cybersecurity professionals—are putting in continuous efforts to fully restore service for customers, agents, and employees,” Erie stated. “While the process is complex and ongoing, we are confident in our approach and appreciate everyone’s patience.”
A company representative declined to comment on the active lawsuits, citing standard policy regarding pending legal matters.
