Frequently Asked Questions

Basic Information

1. What is the Notice and why should I read it?

The Court authorized the Notice to inform you about a proposed Settlement with Defendant. You have legal rights and options that you may act on before the Court decides whether to approve the proposed Settlement. You may be eligible to receive a cash payment as part of the Settlement. The Notice explains the lawsuit, the Settlement, and your legal rights.

Judge Pamela A. Barker of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio is overseeing this class action. The case is called In re Ciuni & Panichi, Inc. Data Breach Litigation, Case No. 1:25-cv-00669 (N.D. Ohio) (the “Action”).

Dayna Jarvis, Travis Bennett, and Eddie Resendiz are the Plaintiffs. The company they sued, Ciuni & Panichi, Inc., is the Defendant.

2. What is a class action lawsuit?

A class action is a lawsuit in which one or more plaintiffs—in this case, Dayna Jarvis, Travis Bennett, and Eddie Resendiz, sues on behalf of a group of people who have similar claims. Together, this group is called a “Class” and consists of “Class Members.” In a class action, the court resolves the issues for all class members, except those who exclude themselves from the class. After the Parties reached an agreement to settle this case, the Court granted preliminary approval of the Settlement and recognized it as a case that should be treated as a class action for settlement purposes.

The Claims in the Lawsuit and the Settlement

3. What is this lawsuit about?

The Plaintiffs claim that Defendant failed to implement and maintain reasonable security measures necessary to protect Private Information that it maintained on its database.

Defendant denies any wrongdoing and denies that it is or can be held liable for the claims made in the lawsuit. More information about the allegations in the lawsuit and Defendant’s responses can be found on the “Important Documents” page.

4. Why is there a Settlement?

The Court has not decided whether the Plaintiffs or Defendant should win this case. Instead, both sides agreed to this Settlement. That way, they can avoid the uncertainty, risks, and expense of ongoing litigation, and Class Members will get compensation now rather than years later—if ever. The Class Representatives and Class Counsel, attorneys for the Class Members, agree the Settlement is in the best interests of the Class Members. The Settlement is not an admission of wrongdoing by Defendant.

Who’s Included in the Settlement?

5. How do I know if I am in the Settlement Class?

Settlement Class Members are defined as individuals to whom Defendant sent notice indicating that their Private Information may have been compromised in the Data Incident, which occurred in November 2024. The Class specifically excludes: (i) all persons who timely and validly request exclusion from the Class; (ii) the Judge assigned to evaluate the fairness of this settlement (including any members of the Court’s staff assigned to this case); (iii) Defendant’s officers and directors, and (iv) any other person found by a court of competent jurisdiction to be guilty under criminal law of initiating, causing, aiding or abetting the occurrence of the Data Incident or who pleads nolo contendere to any such charge. Eligible Class Members will have been mailed notice of their eligibility by the Settlement Administrator, and Class membership will be verified against that mailed list. If you are still not sure whether you are included, you can contact the Settlement Administrator by calling toll-free at (833) 386-6558 or by emailing info@CPDataSettlement.com.

The Settlement Benefits

6. What does the Settlement provide?

The Settlement provides eligible Class Members with (1) up to $5,000.00 in reimbursement for Out-of-Pocket Losses consisting of actual documented out-of-pocket losses or expenses that are fairly traceable to the Data Incident, and (2) a cash payment of approximately $125.00 (assuming a claims rate of 10% of the roughly 25,593-person Settlement Class) that will be pro rata increased or reduced based on the money remaining in the Settlement Fund after the payment of attorneys’ fees and costs, Administrative Expenses, Class Representative Service Awards, and valid claims for Out-of-Pocket Losses. Valid Claims for Out-of-Pocket Losses and pro rata cash payments may be combined.

6.A. Who May Recover for Out-of-Pocket Losses and for How Much?

• If you are a Class Member and you incurred documented out of pocket losses fairly traceable to the Data Incident and/or documented unreimbursed expenses incurred in or after November 2024 that are related to the Data Incident, you may be eligible to receive reimbursement of your losses and expenses up to a total of $5,000.00 per Class Member. Eligible losses or expenses include, without limitation: (1) unreimbursed losses relating to fraud or identity theft; (2) professional fees including attorneys’ fees, accountants’ fees, and fees for credit repair services; (3) costs associated with freezing or unfreezing credit with any credit reporting agency; (4) credit monitoring costs that were incurred on or after the Data Incident through the date of claim submission; (5) miscellaneous expenses such as notary, fax, postage, copying, mileage, and long-distance telephone charges; and (6) other mitigative costs fairly traceable to the Data Incident that were incurred in or after November 2024 through the date of the Settlement Class Member’s claim submission.

• Settlement Class Members who elect to submit a claim for reimbursement of Out-of- Pocket Losses must provide to the Settlement Administrator information required to evaluate the claim, including: (1) the Settlement Class Member’s name and current address; (2) documentation reasonably supporting their claim; and (3) a brief description of the nature of the loss, if the nature of the loss is not apparent from the documentation alone. Documentation supporting Out-of-Pocket Losses can include receipts or other documentation not “self-prepared” by the Settlement Class Member concerning the costs incurred. “Self-prepared” documents such as handwritten receipts are, by themselves, insufficient to receive reimbursement, but can be considered to clarify or support other submitted documentation. For complete details, please see the Settlement Agreement, whose terms control. Additional information about the payment amount will be provided here, if necessary.

• The Net Settlement Fund is the amount remaining in the Settlement Fund after payment of all: (i) Administrative Expenses, (ii) any Fee Award and Expenses, (iv) any Service Awards, and (v) taxes. In the unlikely event that the aggregate amount of all Valid Claims for Out-of-Pocket Losses exceeds 50% of the Net Settlement Fund, then the value of the Out-of-Pocket Losses to be paid to each Class Member shall be reduced, on a pro rata basis, such that the aggregate value of all Valid Claims for Out-of-Pocket Losses does not exceed 50% of the Net Settlement Fund.

6.B. Who May Receive a separate Pro Rata Cash Payment and for How Much?

• All Class Members may make a Claim to receive a cash payment of approximately $125.00 (assuming a claims rate of 10% of the roughly 25,593-person Settlement Class) that will be adjusted up or down to account for the money remaining in the Settlement Fund after the payment of attorneys’ fees and costs, Administrative Expenses, Class Representative Service Awards, and valid claims for Out-of-Pocket Losses. Class Members do not need to suffer Out-of-Pocket Losses for eligibility to file a claim for a pro rata cash payment.

Maximum Settlement Contribution: Under this Settlement, the maximum total amount Defendant may be required to pay is $592,500.00. This maximum includes reimbursements for Out-of-Pocket Losses up to $5,000.00 and pro rata cash payments of approximately $125.00 (assuming a claims rate of 10% of the roughly 25,593-person Settlement Class), attorneys’ fees, costs, and expenses awarded by the Court to Class Counsel, any awarded Class Representative Service Awards, and notice and administrative costs for the Settlement. In no event shall Defendant’s total financial obligation under the Settlement exceed $592,500.00.

How to Get Benefits

7. How do I make a Claim?

By submitting a valid claim form on or before the claim deadline of August 18, 2026. If you received the November 2024 data breach notification letter, you can make a claim by filling out and submitting the claim form online here.

You can also download a paper claim form here or contact the Settlement Administrator to request a one by telephone (833) 386-6558, email info@CPDataSettlement.com, or U.S. mail.

Ciuni & Panichi Data Settlement
c/o Simpluris
P.O. Box 25226
Santa Ana, CA 92799

Claims will be subject to a verification process. You will need the Login ID provided on the Notice you received to fill out a Claim Form. If you do not know your Login ID, please contact the Settlement Administrator.

8. When will I get my payment?

The hearing to consider the fairness of the Settlement is scheduled for September 23, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. CT. If the Court approves the Settlement, eligible Settlement Class Members whose Claims were approved by the Settlement Administrator will be sent payment after all appeals and other reviews, if any, are completed. Please be patient. Eligible claims will be paid to Class Members via written check unless a Class Member chooses to receive payment electronically. All checks will expire and become void 180 days after they are issued.

The Lawyers Representing You

9. Do I have a lawyer in this case?

Yes, the Court has appointed Terence R. Coates of Markovits, Stock & DeMarco, LLC, as “Class Counsel.”

Should I get my own lawyer?

You don’t need to hire your own lawyer because Class Counsel are working on your behalf. These lawyers and their firms are experienced in handling similar cases. You will not be charged for these lawyers. You can ask your own lawyer to appear in Court for you, at your own cost, if you want someone other than Class Counsel to represent you.

10. How will the lawyers be paid?

Class Counsel will ask the Court for attorneys’ fees, costs, and expenses that will be paid from the Settlement Fund. Class Counsel will not seek more than one-third of the Settlement Fund ($197,500.00) in attorneys’ fees and up to $20,000.00 in litigation costs and expenses. Class Counsel will also request a Service Award of up to $2,500.00 each for the Class Representatives. The Court will determine the proper amount of any attorney’s fees, costs, and expenses to award Class Counsel and the proper amount of any service award to the Class Representatives. The Court may award less than the amounts requested.

Your Rights and Options

11. What claims do I give up by participating in this Settlement?

If you do not exclude yourself from the Settlement, you will not be able to sue the Defendant about the issues in this case, and you will be bound by all decisions made by the Court in this case, the Settlement, and its included Release. This is true regardless of whether you submit a Claim Form. You can read the Settlement Agreement for more information. However, you may exclude yourself from the Settlement (see Question 14). If you exclude yourself from the Settlement, you will not be bound by any of the Released Claims.

“Released Claims” means any and all past, present, and future claims and causes of action related to the Data Incident, including but not limited to, any causes of action arising under or premised upon any statute, constitution, law, ordinance, treaty, regulation, or common law of any country, state, province, county, city, or municipality, including 15 U.S.C. § 45, et seq., and all similar statutes in effect in any states in the United States as defined below; state consumer-protection statutes; negligence; negligence per se; breach of contract; breach of implied contract; breach of fiduciary duty; breach of confidence; invasion of privacy; fraud; misrepresentation (whether fraudulent, negligent or innocent); unjust enrichment; bailment; wantonness; failure to provide adequate notice pursuant to any breach notification statute or common law duty; and including, but not limited to, any and all claims for damages, injunctive relief, disgorgement, declaratory relief or judgment, equitable relief, attorneys’ fees and expenses, pre-judgment interest, credit monitoring services, the creation of a fund for future damages, statutory damages, punitive damages, special damages, exemplary damages, restitution, and/or the appointment of a receiver, whether known or unknown, liquidated or unliquidated, accrued or unaccrued, fixed or contingent, direct or derivative, and any other form of legal or equitable relief that either has been asserted, was asserted, or could have been asserted, by any Class Member against any of the Released Parties based on, relating to, concerning or arising out of the alleged Data Incident or the allegations, transactions, occurrences, facts, or circumstances alleged in or otherwise described in the Litigation.

The Settlement Agreement in Paragraphs 77-82 and Settlement Timeline on the final page describes the Release, Released Claims, and timeline to submit Valid Claims in necessary legal terminology, so please read these sections carefully.

The Released Claims do not include any claims arising from or relating to any conduct by Defendant after the date the Agreement is executed. The Released Claims shall also not include the right of Plaintiffs, any Class Member, or any Releasing Party to enforce the terms of the Settlement Agreement.

12. What happens if I do nothing at all?

If you do nothing, you will receive no payment under the Settlement for any losses incurred as a result of the Data Incident. You will be in the Class, and if the Court approves the Settlement, you will also be bound by all orders and judgments of the Court, the Settlement, and its included Release. You will be deemed to have participated in the Settlement and will be subject to the provisions of Question 11 above. Unless you exclude yourself, you won’t be able to file a lawsuit or be part of any other lawsuit against Defendant for the claims or legal issues resolved in this Settlement.

13. What happens if I ask to be excluded?

If you opt-out of the Settlement, you will not have any rights as a member of the Class under the Settlement terms; you will not receive any payment as part of the Settlement; you will not be bound by any further orders or judgments in this case; and you will keep the right, if any, to sue on the claims alleged in this lawsuit at your own expense.

14. How do I ask to be excluded?

You can ask to be excluded from the Settlement. To do so, you must mail a letter or exclusion form stating: (1) the name of the proceeding, In re Ciuni & Panichi, Inc. Data Breach Litigation, Case No. 1:25-cv-00669 (N.D. Ohio); (2) your full name; (3) your current address; (4) your personal signature; and (5) a clear statement of your intent to opt-out of or exclude yourself from the settlement. You must mail your exclusion request, postmarked no later than July 20, 2026, to the following address:

Ciuni & Panichi, Inc.
c/o Simpluris
P.O. Box 25226
Santa Ana, CA 92799

You cannot exclude yourself by phone or email. Each individual who wants to be excluded from the Settlement must submit his or her own exclusion request. No group opt-outs shall be permitted.

15. If I don’t exclude myself, can I sue Defendant for the same thing later?

No. Unless you exclude yourself, you give up any right to sue Defendant for the claims being resolved by this Settlement even if you do nothing.

16. If I exclude myself, can I get anything from this Settlement?

No. If you exclude yourself, do not submit a Claim Form to ask for a payment.

17. How do I object to the Settlement?

If you did not exclude yourself from the Class and think that the Court should not approve the Settlement, you can object to the Settlement and provide reasons why you think the settlement should not be approved. Such notice must state: (i) the name of the proceedings; (ii) the Settlement Class Member’s full name, current mailing address, and telephone number; (iii) a statement of the specific grounds for the objection, as well as any documents supporting the objection; (iv) the identity of any attorneys representing the objector; (v) a statement regarding whether the Settlement Class Member (or his/her attorney) intends to appear at the Final Approval Hearing; (vi) a statement identifying all class action settlements objected to by the Settlement Class Member in the previous 5 years; and (vii) the signature of the Settlement Class Member or the Settlement Class Member’s attorney.

To be timely, written notice of an objection in the appropriate form must be mailed, with a postmark date no later than July 20, 2026, to the Settlement Administrator:

Ciuni & Panichi, Inc.
c/o Simpluris
P.O. Box 25226
Santa Ana, CA 92799

You or your counsel shall also file any Objection with the Court through the Court’s ECF system or by submitting your objection to the Clerk of Court, which is located at Carl B. Stokes U.S. Courthouse, 801 West Superior Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44113.

For all objections mailed to the Settlement Administrator, Class Counsel will file them with the Court with the Motion for Final Approval of the Settlement, unless the Objection(s) were previously filed on the docket.

18. What’s the difference between objecting and excluding myself from the Settlement?

Objecting simply means telling the Court that you don’t like something about the Settlement. You can object only if you stay in the Class. Excluding yourself from the Class is telling the Court that you don’t want to be part of the Class. If you exclude yourself, you have no basis to object because the case no longer affects you.

The Court’s Fairness Hearing

19. When and where will the Court hold a hearing on the fairness of the Settlement?

The Court will hold the Final Approval Hearing on September 23, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. CT at the Carl B. Stokes U.S. Courthouse, 801 West Superior Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44113. The purpose of the hearing is for the Court to determine whether the Settlement is fair, reasonable, adequate, and in the best interests of the Class. At the hearing, the Court will hear any objections and arguments concerning the fairness of the proposed Settlement, including those related to the amount requested by Class Counsel for attorneys’ fees, costs, and expenses and the Service Awards to the Class Representatives.

Note: The date and time of the Final Approval Hearing are subject to change by Court Order. Any changes will be posted on the Important Dates page, or through the Court’s publicly available docket. You should check this website to confirm the date and time have not been changed.

20. Do I have to come to the hearing?

No. Class Counsel will answer any questions the Court may have, but you are welcome to attend the hearing at your own expense. If you send an objection, you don’t have to come to Court to talk about it. As long as your written objection was filed or mailed on time and meets the other criteria described in the Settlement Agreement, the Court will consider it. You may also pay a lawyer to attend on your behalf at your own expense, but you don’t have to.

21. May I speak at the Hearing?

Yes. If you do not exclude yourself from the Class, you may ask the Court for permission to speak at the Final Approval Hearing concerning any part of the proposed Settlement.

Getting More Information

22. Where can I get additional information?

This website and the Notice summarize the proposed Settlement. More details are in the Settlement Agreement, which is available on the Important Documents page.

You may contact the Settlement Administrator by calling Toll-Free at (833) 386-6558, by email at info@CPDataSettlement.com or by writing to:

Ciuni & Panichi, Inc.
c/o Simpluris
P.O. Box 25226
Santa Ana, CA 92799

Please do not call the Court, the Clerk of the Court, the Judge, or the Defendant with questions about the Settlement or Claims Process