Data Breach Class Action Dismissed After ‘Alter Ego’ Doctrine Fails

A federal class action alleging that cybercriminals accessed the personal information of over 700,000 patients tied to U.S. Vision and related companies was dismissed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. The plaintiff argued that U.S. Vision should be liable under an "alter ego" theory for actions of Nationwide Vision and SightCare, but the court concluded the plaintiffs could not prove direct interaction sufficient to hold U.S. Vision responsible; the article reports the legal outcome rather than technical details of the breach.