COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — More than two years after the city of Columbus was hit with a massive ransomware attack, there is a win for the victims.
The 2024 cyberattack against Columbus resulted in half a million people’s private, sensitive information leaked on the dark web. Now, appeals court judges have ruled that a class action lawsuit brought forward by victims of the hack must move forward.
The 10th district appeals judges unanimously ruled that the class action lawsuit against the city should not have been dismissed.
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Last year, the city argued that it was not at fault for the attack and asked for the suit to be dismissed. The plaintiffs argued the city owes a duty of care to protect personally identifiable information because it is collected and stored.
Last October, a Franklin county judge dismissed the lawsuit, saying that while there was evidence that victims were harmed by the city’s actions, the city is immune from liability.
Now, the appeals court is siding with the plaintiffs and says the case must go on.
“The city asked the court to end this case before we were able to investigate it. And so the court of appeals actually just came out with a decision saying that it’s too early for this case to be dismissed and that our firms are allowed to find some answers,” Cooper Elliott Attorney Spencer Meador said. “We intend to do everything we can to find answers here and seek accountability. So whatever that looks like on our end procedurally, we’re going to do that for the people of Columbus and for the employees of Columbus.”
The Columbus Department of Technology interim director sent us a statement reading: “While we respect the decision of the 10th district court of appeals, we are actively reviewing our options with the city attorney’s office and outside council.”
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The city could appeal to the Supreme Court of Ohio.
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