1. Why was notice issued?
2. What is a class action?
3. What is this lawsuit about?
4. Why is there a settlement?
5. How do I know if I am in the Settlement Class?
6. Are there exceptions to being included?
7. What does the Settlement provide?
8. What claims am I releasing if I stay in the Class?
9. How do I submit a claim for a Settlement benefit?
10. Are there any important Settlement payment deadlines?
11. When will the Settlement benefits be issued?
12. Do I have a lawyer in the case?
13. Should I get my own lawyer?
14. How will Class Counsel be paid?
15. How do I opt out of the Settlement?
16. How do I tell the Court if I like or do not like the Settlement?
17. What is the difference between objecting and excluding?
18. When and where will the Court decide whether to approve the Settlement?
19. Do I have to come to the Final Approval Hearing?
20. What happens if I do nothing at all?
21. How do I get more information?
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, authorized the Notice. You have a right to know about the proposed Settlement of this class action lawsuit, and about all of your options, before the Court decides whether to grant final approval of the Settlement. The Notice explains the lawsuit, your legal rights, what benefits are available, and who can receive them.
The lawsuit is called Jefferson v. Trident Maritime Systems LLC, Case No. 1:25-cv-00375. It is pending in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. The person that filed this lawsuit is called the “Plaintiff” (or “Class Representative”) and the company they sued, Trident Maritime Systems LLC, is called the “Defendant.”
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In a class action, one or more individuals sue on behalf of other people with similar claims. These individuals are called the “Plaintiffs” or “Class Representatives.” Together, the people included in the class action are called a “Class” or “Class Members.” One court resolves the lawsuit for all Class Members, except for those who opt out of the settlement. In this Settlement, the Class Representative is Shannon Jefferson, and all individuals who were notified of the Data Incident are the Class Members.
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This lawsuit alleges that during the February 2023, targeted cyberattack on Trident's computer systems, certain files that contained private information were compromised. These files may have contained personal information such as names, Social Security numbers, and dates of birth.
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In a class action, one or more individuals sue on behalf of other people with similar claims. These individuals are called the “Plaintiffs” or “Class Representatives.” Together, the people included in the class action are called a “Class” or “Class Members.” One court resolves the lawsuit for all Class Members, except for those who opt out of the settlement. In this Settlement, the Class Representative is Shannon Jefferson, and all individuals who were notified of the Data Incident are the Class Members.
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The Court has defined the Class this way: “All individuals in the United States whose Private Information was compromised in the data security incident that Trident Maritime Systems, LLC experienced between February 1, 2023 and February 10, 2023.”
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Yes. Excluded from the Class are: (1) the Judge in this case, and the Judge’s family and staff, (2) Trident and its officers and directors; (3) anyone who validly excludes themselves from the Settlement; and (4) anyone who perpetrated the Data Incident.
If you are not sure whether you are a Class Member, you can ask for free help any time by contacting the Settlement Administrator at:
Trident Data Incident Settlement
c/o Settlement Administrator
P.O. Box 25226
Santa Ana, CA 92799
(844) 496-0901
info@TridentDataBreach.com
You may also view the Settlement Agreement.
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Trident will establish a Settlement Fund of $210,000.00. The Settlement Fund will first be used to pay court-approved attorneys’ fees and costs, Service Award for the Plaintiffs, and the costs of administering the Settlement. The net remaining money will be used to pay for the benefits described below.
All Class Members are eligible to receive three years of credit monitoring services. All Class Members may also submit a claim for one of two cash payment options:
OPTION 1: Select one or more of the following benefits:
| OPTION 2: Alternative Cash Payment.
|
More information about each of these benefits is below. Full details are in the Settlement Agreement.
Credit Monitoring Services. All Class Members are eligible to enroll in three years of Credit Monitoring Services from the three credit bureaus. This benefit comes with $1,000,000 in identity theft insurance and includes:
real time monitoring of your credit file at all three credit bureaus;
dark web scanning; and
comprehensive public records monitoring.
If anything suspicious happens, you will be able to talk to a fraud resolution agent to help fix any problems.
Cash Payment Option 1:
Documented Losses. If you incurred actual, documented out-of-pocket losses due to the Data Incident, you can file a claim for reimbursement up to $5,000.00. The losses must have occurred between February 1, 2023, and November 26, 2025.
This benefit covers out-of-pocket expenses like:
losses because of identity theft or fraud;
fees for credit reports, credit monitoring, or freezing and unfreezing your credit;
cost to replace your IDs; and/or
losses because of identity theft or fraud;
postage to contact banks by mail
You need to send proof, like bank statements or receipts, to show how much you spent or lost. You can also send notes or papers you made yourself to explain or support other proof, but those notes or papers alone are not enough to make a valid claim.
You must have spent the time on tasks related to the Data Incident. Some examples include things like:
changing your passwords;
investigating suspicious activity in your accounts; and/or
researching the Data Incident.
Cash Payment Option 2:
Alternative Cash Payment. Instead of the benefits in Cash Payment Option 1, you may claim a one-time alternative cash payment. This payment is expected to be $100.00 but may be larger or smaller depending on the total claims filed. You do not have to provide any proof or explanation to claim this payment.
If you have questions about these benefits, you can ask for free help any time by contacting the Settlement Administrator at:
Trident Data Incident Settlement
c/o Settlement Administrator
P.O. Box 25226
Santa Ana, CA 92799
(844) 496-0901
info@TridentDataBreach.com
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If you stay in the class, you won’t be able to be part of any other lawsuit against Trident about the issues that this Settlement covers. The “Releases” section of the Settlement Agreement (Section IX) describes the legal claims that you give up if you remain in the Class. The Settlement Agreement is available here.
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The fastest way to submit your Claim Form is using the online Claim Form here. If you prefer, you can download a printable Claim Form here and mail it to the Settlement Administrator at:
Trident Data Incident Settlement
c/o Settlement Administrator
P.O. Box 25226
Santa Ana, CA 92799
You may also contact the Settlement Administrator to request a Claim Form by telephone, toll free, (844) 496-0901, by email info@TridentDataBreach.com, or by U.S. mail at the address above.
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If you are submitting a Claim Form online, you must do so by November 26, 2025. If you are submitting a claim by U.S. mail, the completed and signed Claim Form, including supporting documentation, must be postmarked no later than November 26, 2025.
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The Court will hold a final approval hearing on December 12, 2025 (see FAQ 18). If the Court approves the Settlement, there may be appeals. We do not know if appeals will be filed, or how long it will take to resolve them if they are filed.
Settlement payments will be distributed if the Court grants final approval, and after any appeals are resolved.
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Yes, the Court appointed attorney Daniel Srourian of Srourian Law Firm P.C., to represent you and other Class Members (“Class Counsel”).
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You will not be charged for Class Counsel’s services. If you want your own lawyer, you may hire one at your expense.
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Class Counsel will ask the Court to approve $75,000.00, which will be paid from the Settlement Fund. Class Counsel will also ask for a Service Award Payment of $1,500.00 for the Class Representative. The Service Award Payment will also be paid from the Settlement Fund.
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If you do not want to be part of the Settlement, you must formally exclude yourself from the Settlement. This is called a Request for Exclusion and is sometimes also called “opting out.” If you opt out, you will not receive Settlement benefits or payment. However, you will keep any rights you may have to sue Trident on your own about the legal issues in this case.
If you exclude yourself, you are telling the Court that you do not want to be part of the Settlement. You will not be eligible to receive any Settlement benefits if you exclude yourself. The deadline to exclude yourself from the Settlement is October 27, 2025.
To be valid, your Request for Exclusion must have the following information:
the name of the Litigation: Jefferson v. Trident Maritime Systems LLC, Case No. 1:25-cv-00375, pending in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia;
your full name, mailing address, telephone number, and email address;
personal signature; and
the words “Request for Exclusion” or a clear and similar statement that you do not want to participate in the Settlement.
You may only exclude yourself, not any other person.
Mail or email your Request for Exclusion to the Settlement Administrator at:
Trident Data Incident Settlement
ATTN: Exclusion Request
P.O. Box 25226
Santa Ana, CA 92799
info@TridentDataBreach.com
Your Request for Exclusion must be postmarked, or emailed by October 27, 2025.
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If you are a Class Member and do not like part or all of the Settlement, you can object to it. Objecting means telling the Court your reasons for why you think the Court should not approve the Settlement. The Court will consider your views.
You cannot object if you have excluded yourself from the Settlement (see FAQ 15)
You must provide the following information for the Court to consider your objection:
the name of the Litigation: Jefferson v. Trident Maritime Systems LLC, Case No. 1:25-cv-00375, pending in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia;
your full name, mailing address, telephone number, and email address;
whether the objection applies only to you, or to other Class Members, as well;
a clear description of all the reasons you object; include any legal support you may have for your objection;
if you have hired your own lawyer to represent you at the Final Approval Hearing, provide their name and telephone number;
if you plan to file an objection, include your lawyer’s background and experience; how much they expect to charge; and how they calculated that number;
if you or your lawyer have objected in any other cases in the past five years, list the names, courts, and civil action numbers for each of those cases;
whether or not you or your lawyer would like to speak at the Final Approval Hearing;
if you plan on calling witnesses or submitting documents at the Final Approval Hearing, provide a full list of both;
your signature (if you have hired your own lawyer, your lawyer’s signature is not sufficient).
For your objection to be valid, it must meet each of these requirements.
To be considered by the Court, you must file your complete objection with the Clerk of Court by October 27, 2025. You must also send a copy of the objection to the Settlement Administrator.
Clerk of the Court | Settlement Administrator |
Clerk of the Court | Trident Data Incident Settlement |
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Objecting is telling the Court that you do not like something about the Settlement. You can object to the Settlement only if you do not exclude yourself from the Settlement. Excluding yourself from the Settlement is opting out and stating to the Court that you do not want to be part of the Settlement. If you opt out of the Settlement, you cannot object to it because the Settlement no longer affects you.
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The Court will hold a final approval on December 12, 2025, at 10:00 am Eastern Time, in Room 700 of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, at 401 Courthouse Square, Alexandria, VA 22314.
At the final approval hearing, the Court will decide whether to approve the Settlement. The Court will also decide how Class Counsel should be paid, and whether to award a Service Award Payment to the Class Representative. The Court will also consider any objections to the Settlement.
If you are a Class Member, you or your lawyer may ask permission to speak at the hearing at your own cost (see FAQ 16).
The date and time of this hearing may change without further notice. Please check this website for updates.
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No. Class Counsel will answer any questions the Court may have. But, you are welcome to come at your own expense. If you send an objection or comment, you do not have to come to Court to talk about it. As long as you filed and mailed your written objection on time, the Court will consider it. You may also pay another lawyer to attend, but it is not required.
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If you do nothing, you will not receive a benefit from this Settlement. You will also give up the rights described in FAQ 8.
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This website is a summary of the proposed Settlement. The full Settlement Agreement and other related documents are available in the Important Documents section of this website.
If you have additional questions, you can ask for free help any time by contacting the Settlement Administrator at:
Trident Data Incident Settlement
c/o Settlement Administrator
P.O. Box 25226
Santa Ana, CA 92799
(844) 496-0901
info@TridentDataBreach.com
You can obtain copies of publicly filed documents by visiting the office of the Clerk of the Court, 401 Courthouse Square, Alexandria, VA 22314.
Do not contact the Court or Clerk of Court regarding this Settlement
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