LifeLabs faces suit over data breach

Class-action filed against medical testing company

A Toronto lawyer has launched a class-action lawsuit against LifeLabs, the medical testing company that recently admitted to a data breach that could affect more than 15 million Canadians.

Filed on behalf of five plaintiffs, including Toronto lawyer Christopher Sparling, the suit is seeking more than $1.13 billion in potential damages due to alleged negligence in safeguarding customer data, as well as an additional $10 million in punitive damages.

LifeLabs revealed the cyber attack on Dec. 17, admitting that the information for more than 15 million customers, including names, addresses, health card numbers, test results and more, was potentially accessed in the breach.

Most of the affected consumers are reportedly in B.C. and Ontario, with the company’s investigation finding 85,000 customers affected from 2016 or earlier in Ontario.

“The point here is that there are 15 million people supposedly in Canada who are victims of this breach. Nobody’s ever seen something like this before in this country,” said Peter Waldman, the attorney who filed the suit.

“Who knows what it’s worth to each person? Some people may have more serious consequences than others, depending on what their personal circumstances are. We don’t know yet. It’s the opening chapter of this story.”

The new suit is one of at least three that have been filed and it remains to be determined which, if any, a court will hear.