Frequently Asked Questions

A Court authorized this Settlement Website because you have a right to know about the proposed Settlement of this class action lawsuit and about all your options before the Court decides whether to grant final approval of the Settlement. This Settlement Website explains the lawsuit, your legal rights, what benefits are available, and who can receive them.
 

The lawsuit is captioned Julie Roberts, et al. v. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Hospital Authority, Case No. 25CV057073-590 (Mecklenburg Cnty. Sup. Ct.). The individuals who filed this lawsuit are called “Plaintiffs,” and the company they sued is The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Hospital Authority d/b/a Atrium Health or just “Atrium Health.”

Atrium Health used pixel technology on its Website and, for a limited time—between January 1, 2015 and July 31, 2019—in its Patient Portal (collectively, “Web Properties”). Plaintiffs have alleged that the use of pixel technology led to the disclosure of personal and/or health-related information of Plaintiffs and Class Members to third parties, including Meta (formerly known as Facebook) and Google, and resulted in the invasion of Plaintiffs’ and Class Members’ privacy. Atrium Health denies that the use of this technology is the basis for any claims. To resolve these claims, Atrium Health and representatives of Class Members have reached an agreement through which Patient Portal users who qualify can receive compensation in exchange for a release of their claims. 

In a class action, one or more individuals sue on behalf of other people with similar claims. These individuals who sue are known as “Class Representatives” or “Plaintiffs.” Together, the people included in the class action are called a “Settlement Class” or “Class Members.” One court resolves the lawsuit for all Class Members, except for those who exclude themselves (sometimes called, “opting out”) from a Settlement. In this Settlement, the Class Representatives are Julie Roberts, Judith Sigmon, Darielle Hill, and Chrisanna Brown.

The Court did not decide in favor of Plaintiffs or Atrium Health. Atrium Health denies all claims and contends that it has not violated any laws. Plaintiffs and Atrium Health agreed to a Settlement to avoid the costs and risks of a trial, and through the Settlement, Class Members are eligible to claim payments. Plaintiffs and their attorneys, who also represent Class Members, think the Settlement is best for all Class Members. 

The Settlement Class consists of all individuals residing in the United States who had Patient Portal accounts between January 1, 2015 and April 10, 2024.

Yes. Excluded from the Settlement Class are: (i) Atrium Health, any entity in which Atrium Health has a controlling interest, and Atrium Health’s affiliates, parents, subsidiaries, officers, directors, legal representatives, successors, subsidiaries, and assigns; (ii) any judge, justice, or judicial officer presiding over the lawsuit and the members of their immediate families and judicial staff; and (iii) any individual who timely and validly excludes themselves from the Settlement.

If approved by the Court, Atrium Health will pay up to $1,800,000 to resolve the lawsuit. Of this amount, $1,500,000 (the “Settlement Fund”) will be used to pay Class Representative Service Awards, Class Counsel’s Attorneys’ Fees and Expenses Award, Administration Costs for Group 1 Claims, and payments to Class Members who used their Patient Portal accounts between January 1, 2015 and July 31, 2019 (“Group 1 Settlement Payments”). 
 

Atrium Health has agreed to pay up to an additional $300,000 to individuals who had a Patient Portal account between January 1, 2015 and April 10, 2024 but did not access their account between January 1, 2015 and July 31, 2019 (“Group 2 Settlement Payments”).

Class Members who submit a valid Claim Form attesting that they accessed or used their Patient Portal account between January 1, 2015 and July 31, 2019 may be eligible for a Group 1 Settlement Payment. This is contingent on confirmation by the Settlement Administrator that, based on Atrium Health’s records, these individuals did in fact access their Patient Portal during that period. After the Class Representative Service Awards, Class Counsel’s Attorneys’ Fees and Expenses Award, and Administration Costs for Group 1 Claims are deducted from the Settlement Fund, the balance of the Settlement Fund will be distributed pro rata (equally) to Class Members who submit a valid Claim Form for a Group 1 Settlement Payment. Class Members who qualify for a Group 1 Settlement Payment are not eligible to receive a Group 2 Settlement Payment.

Class Members who submit a valid Claim Form attesting that they had a Patient Portal account between January 1, 2015 and April 10, 2024 will receive a payment of up to $10. This is contingent on confirmation by the Settlement Administrator that, based on Atrium Health’s records, these individuals did in fact have a Patient Portal account during that period. The final payment amount may vary based on the total number of Class Members who submit a valid Claim Form for a Group 2 Settlement Payment and may ultimately be a pro rata share of $300,000. Class Members who qualify for a Group 1 Settlement Payment are not eligible to receive a Group 2 Settlement Payment.

Unless you opt out of the Settlement, you cannot sue, continue to sue, or be part of any other lawsuit against Atrium Health or its affiliates about any of the legal claims this Settlement resolves. The “Release” section in the Class Action Settlement Agreement and Release describes the legal claims that you give up if you remain in the Settlement Class. The Class Action Settlement Agreement and Release can be found at this Important Documents page of this Settlement Website.

You must submit a Claim Form by September 28, 2026. Claim Forms maybe be submitted online on this Settlement Website using the “Submit Claim” button or mailed to the Settlement Administrator at: Julie Roberts, et al. v. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Hospital Authority, c/o Kroll Settlement Administration LLC, P.O. Box 225391, New York, NY 10150-5391, postmarked by September 28, 2026.
 

The Settlement Administrator will review and evaluate your Claim Form and determine if you are eligible for either a Group 1 Settlement Payment or Group 2 Settlement Payment based on Atrium Health’s records.

The short answer is – after the Settlement is “finally approved” and challenges, if any, to that approval are finally resolved. The Court is scheduled to hold a Final Approval Hearing on September 30, 2026, at 2:30 p.m., to decide whether to approve the Settlement, how much Attorneys’ Fees and Expenses to award to Class Counsel for representing the Settlement Class, and Service Award payments to the Class Representatives who brought this lawsuit on behalf of the Settlement Class.

If the Court approves the Settlement, there may be appeals. It is always uncertain whether appeals will be filed and, if so, how long it will take to resolve them. Settlement Payments will be distributed to Class Members as soon as possible, if and when the Court grants Final Approval of the Settlement and after any appeals are resolved.

Yes, the Court appointed David Wilkerson of Wilkerson Justus PLLC, David Almeida of Almeida Law Group LLC, and Brandon Wise of Peiffer Wolf Carr Kane Conway & Wise, LLP, to represent you and other members of the Settlement Class (“Class Counsel”). You will not be charged directly for these lawyers; instead, they will receive compensation from the Settlement Fund (subject to Court approval).

If you want to be represented by your own lawyer, you may hire one at your own expense.

It is not necessary for you to hire your own lawyer because Class Counsel works for you. If you want to be represented by your own lawyer, you may hire one at your own expense.

Class Counsel will ask the Court to approve Attorneys’ Fees of up to $500,000, plus reasonable expenses not to exceed $25,000, and $2,500 Service Award payments to each of the Class Representatives. If approved, these amounts will be paid from the Settlement Fund before making payments to Class Members who submit valid Claim Forms for Group 1 Settlement Payments. 

If you do not want to receive a payment from the Settlement, and you want to keep your right to separately sue Atrium Health or its affiliates about the legal issues in this case, you must take steps to exclude yourself from the Settlement Class. This is called “opting out” of the Settlement Class. The Opt-Out Date to submit a “Request for Exclusion” from the Settlement is August 31, 2026.

To exclude yourself from the Settlement, you must submit a written Request for Exclusion to the Settlement Administrator that includes the following information:

• your full name, address, and telephone number; 

• a statement indicating that you want to opt out of the Settlement Class;

• the case name and number, 
  Julie Roberts, et al. v. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Hospital Authority, Case No. 25CV057073-590; and

• your personal signature.
   

Your Request for Exclusion must be mailed to the Settlement Administrator at the address below, postmarked no later than August 31, 2026.

Julie Roberts, et al. v. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Hospital Authority
c/o Kroll Settlement Administration LLC
ATTN: Request for Exclusion
P.O. Box 225391
New York, NY 10150-5391

If you are a Class Member, you can choose (but are not required) to object to the Settlement if you do not like it or a portion of it, whether that be to the Class Member payments, the request for Attorneys’ Fees, Expenses, or Service Award payments, the releases provided to Atrium Health, or some other aspect of the Settlement. Through an Objection, you give reasons why you think the Court should not approve the Settlement.

For an objection to be considered by the Court, the Objection must include: 

1. the case name and number, Julie Roberts, et al. v. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Hospital Authority, Case No. 25CV057073-590;

2. your full name, current address, telephone number, and email address;

3. your personal signature (an attorney’s signature is not sufficient);

4. if you are represented by an attorney, or received assistance from an attorney in drafting your Objection, the name, address, telephone number, and email address of the attorney; 

5. a statement indicating the basis for your belief that you are a member of the Settlement Class; 

6. whether the Objection applies only to you, to a specific subset of the Settlement, or to the entire Settlement; 

7. a statement of the legal and/or factual basis for the Objection; and 

8. whether you intend to appear at the Final Approval Hearing, and if so, whether personally or through counsel.

If you are represented by counsel and your counsel intends to speak at the Final Approval Hearing, your written Objection must also include:

1. the identity of witnesses you intend to call to testify at the Final Approval Hearing; 

2. a description of any documents or evidence you intend to offer at the Final Approval Hearing; and 

3. a list, including case name, court, and docket number, of all other cases in which you and/or your counsel has filed an Objection to any proposed class action settlement in the past three (3) years.

Objections must be filed with the Court no later than August 31, 2026.

Superior Court for Mecklenburg County, North Carolina

832 East Fourth Street

Suite 3600
Charlotte, NC 28202

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 it. Excluding yourself from the Settlement means telling the Court that you do not want to be part of the Settlement. If you exclude yourself/opt out of the Settlement, you cannot object to it because the Settlement no longer affects you.

The Court is scheduled to hold a Final Approval Hearing on September 30, 2026 at 2:30 p.m., at the Superior Court for Mecklenburg County, North Carolina at 832 East Fourth Street, Courtroom 6310, Charlotte, NC 28202, to decide whether to approve the Settlement, how much Attorneys’ Fees and Expenses to award to Class Counsel for representing the Settlement Class, and whether to award Service Awards to the Class Representatives who brought this lawsuit on behalf of the Settlement Class. The date and time of this hearing may change without further notice. Please check this Settlement Website for updates.

No. Class Counsel will answer any questions the Court may have. You may attend at your own expense. If you file an Objection, you may, but you do not have to come to the Final Approval Hearing to talk about it. If you file your written Objection on time and in accordance with the requirements above, the Court will consider it. You may also pay your own lawyer to attend, but it is not necessary.

If you are a Class Member and you do nothing, you will give up your right to start a lawsuit, continue a lawsuit, or be part of any other lawsuit against the Atrium Health and Related Parties, as defined in the Class Action Settlement Agreement and Release, about the legal issues resolved by this Settlement. In addition, you will be bound by the released claims in the Settlement and not be eligible to receive a Settlement Payment.

This Settlement Website summarizes the proposed Settlement. Complete details are provided in the Class Action Settlement Agreement and Release. The Class Action Settlement Agreement and Release and other related documents are available on the Important Documents page of this Settlement Website.

If you have additional questions or need to update your address, you may contact the Settlement Administrator by phone, or by mail:

Toll-Free: (833) 930-1153

Mail: Julie Roberts, et al. v. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Hospital Authority, c/o Kroll Settlement Administration, P.O. Box 225391, New York, NY 10150-5391.

PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT THE COURT OR ATRIUM HEALTH.