In the Inotiv data breach settlement, trying for the bigger documented payout carries little downside: a documented claim that is denied for any reason other than not being a class member, or approved for less than $45, is converted into the flat $45 payment instead. People who were sent Inotiv’s notice about the August 2025 cyberattack can claim up to $4,580 across three documented tiers, or take $45 with no paperwork, and add two years of medical identity protection either way. Claims close December 2, 2026.
Status: Claims open, final approval pending | Claim deadline December 2, 2026 (online or postmarked) | Opt out or object by November 2, 2026 | $45 flat or up to $4,580 documented, plus 2 years of monitoring
Three Documented Tiers and a $45 Alternative
The cash side of the settlement is built from separate pieces. The documented tiers can be combined with each other; the $45 replaces all three of them.
| Ordinary losses — up to $500 | Documented out-of-pocket costs caused by the breach: credit reports, credit monitoring, credit freezes and unfreezes, ID replacement, and postage to contact banks. |
| Extraordinary losses — up to $4,000 | Money lost to identity theft or fraud that was more likely than not caused by the breach, not covered by the ordinary tier, and where you tried to prevent or recover the loss, including through insurance you already have. |
| Lost time — up to $80 | Up to four hours at $20 an hour spent on things like changing passwords, investigating suspicious account activity or researching the incident. Needs a short written description and a signed attestation, not receipts. |
| Alternative Cash Payment — $45 | No proof or explanation. Taken instead of the three tiers above. |
Documented losses must have occurred between August 5, 2025 and September 10, 2026 and cannot have been reimbursed by anyone else. The ordinary and extraordinary tiers need third-party records, such as receipts or statements, itemized with a description and amount. Notes you write yourself can support other proof but are not enough alone.
On top of any cash choice, every class member can enroll in two years of CyEx Medical Shield Complete, which the notice describes as including $1 million of medical identity theft insurance, monitoring for health insurance ID and Medical Record Number exposure, monitoring for unauthorized Health Savings Account spending, and access to a fraud resolution agent.
No Fund to Divide
There is no aggregate settlement fund and no pro rata reduction described in the notice. Inotiv pays valid claims as they are approved and pays administration costs separately. Class counsel will request $275,000 in attorneys’ fees and costs plus $2,000 service awards for each class representative, and the notice says Inotiv pays those as well, so they do not come out of class members’ payments.
Who Was Notified
Inotiv Inc. is a contract research organization in West Lafayette, Indiana that serves the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. The lawsuit alleges that during a cyberattack on its computer systems in August 2025, files containing private information — which may have included Social Security numbers, dates of birth and financial information — may have been compromised. The settlement agreement dates the unauthorized access to on or about August 5–8, 2025, and says Inotiv began notifying people on December 2, 2025.
Reporting on Inotiv’s regulatory breach notifications put the number notified at roughly 9,500 and described them as current and former employees, their family members, and others who dealt with Inotiv or companies it acquired.
The class is defined as everyone in the United States whom Inotiv sent a notice saying their private information was compromised in the breach. Receiving that notice is the test; employment history and location are not. Inotiv must give the administrator a class list of names and last known addresses, and claims are checked against it. The presiding judge and the judge’s family and staff, Inotiv and its officers, directors and related companies, and anyone who opts out are excluded.
How the Case Ended Up in State Court
The lawsuits began in federal court in August 2025 and were consolidated there. Inotiv moved to dismiss in part, arguing the plaintiffs lacked standing to bring certain claims in federal court; the motion was never decided. After a March 2026 mediation, the parties agreed to dismiss the federal case and refile in Indiana state court specifically to remove the standing question, and the settlement was filed there in May 2026. The case is now Doyal v. Inotiv Inc., Cause No. 49D01-2604-CE-020713, in the Superior Court for Marion County, Indiana.
Inotiv denies wrongdoing, and the court has not decided who is right. The parties settled to avoid the costs and uncertainty of continued litigation.
A Low Walk-Away Threshold
The settlement agreement lets Inotiv terminate the deal at its discretion if more than 100 class members validly opt out, with written notice to class counsel within ten days of the opt-out deadline. For a class of about 9,500 people, that is a small number.
Anyone who stays in gives up the right to join other lawsuits against Inotiv over claims arising from or related to the breach, known or unknown, under Section VIII of the agreement. That release applies whether or not you file, which is why doing nothing yields nothing.
Dates to Mark
| November 2, 2026 | Opt-out requests submitted or postmarked; objections filed with the Clerk of Court, with a copy to the administrator. An opt-out must include the case name and number, your full name, mailing address, phone number, email address, personal signature and the words “Request for Exclusion” or an equivalent. |
| December 2, 2026 | Claims submitted online or postmarked, with any documentation. |
| December 3, 2026, 11:45 a.m. ET | Final approval hearing by videoconference — the day after claims close. The date can change without further notice. |
You can object and still file a claim, but you cannot both object and opt out.
Filing the Claim
Claims go through the official Inotiv data breach settlement website, administered by Simpluris. The online form opens only with the LoginID and PIN printed on your mailed notice, even for the $45 option. If you cannot find them, the settlement website explains how to ask the administrator to resend them using your full name and mailing address. A printable claim form, whose Login ID field is marked “if known,” can be mailed instead.
On the form, check the box to enroll in the identity protection, then either check the $45 Alternative Cash Payment or fill in the documented tiers with records attached. Choose PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, a virtual prepaid card or a paper check. One claim per person.
Payments are mailed within thirty days after the settlement becomes effective or thirty days after a claim is approved, whichever is later. A payment is void 181 days after issue, and leftover money from uncashed or returned payments goes to a court-approved cy pres recipient, not back to Inotiv. No payment date had been announced as of September 17, 2026, per OpenClassActions.com’s Inotiv settlement page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if my documented Inotiv claim is denied?
Under the settlement agreement, a documented claim denied for any reason other than not being a class member, or approved for less than $45, is treated as a valid claim for the $45 Alternative Cash Payment instead.
Can I claim lost time and out-of-pocket losses together?
Yes. Ordinary losses up to $500, extraordinary losses up to $4,000 and lost time up to $80 can be combined, for a maximum of $4,580. The $45 Alternative Cash Payment replaces all three.
Is the identity protection separate from the cash?
Yes. Every class member can enroll in two years of CyEx Medical Shield Complete in addition to whichever cash option they choose. It must be selected on the claim form.
Do attorneys’ fees reduce my payment?
No. The notice says Inotiv pays the requested $275,000 in fees and costs and the $2,000 service awards separately. There is no common fund for them to be taken from.
I lost my LoginID and PIN. What now?
The online form will not open without them. The settlement website explains how to request them from the administrator with your full name and mailing address, or you can mail the printable claim form, which marks the Login ID as if known.
Can Inotiv cancel the settlement?
Yes, in one situation. If more than 100 class members validly opt out, Inotiv may terminate the settlement at its discretion by giving written notice within ten days of the opt-out deadline.
Sources
- Official settlement website, notice, claim form and settlement agreement — InotivDataBreachSettlement.com, administered by Simpluris.
- Settlement Agreement and Release filed May 27, 2026, Doyal v. Inotiv Inc., Cause No. 49D01-2604-CE-020713, Superior Court for Marion County, Indiana.
- Inotiv — notice regarding cybersecurity incident.
- OpenClassActions.com — Inotiv Data Breach Settlement.
Source and credit: the settlement terms, deadlines and benefit details described above are drawn from our sister site’s reporting — OpenClassActions.com: Inotiv Data Breach Settlement — $45 With No Documentation or Up to $4,580 — which tracks this case against the court-approved notice and the official settlement website and is updated as the court rules.
Legal Disclaimer
This article is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. OpenClassActions.org is a consumer news site, not a law firm and not the settlement administrator, and is not affiliated with any party to the case described. The allegations are allegations; unless a court has ruled, the defendants deny wrongdoing and no court has decided the merits. Deadlines, benefit amounts and payment timing can change as the court and the administrator act, so confirm current status on the official settlement website. You never need to pay anyone to file a claim or to receive a settlement payment.