The federal judge who preliminarily approved the $750,000 Southern Graphics data breach settlement did the math in writing: after attorneys’ fees and service awards, less than $13 per class member is left to cover documented losses, credit monitoring and the flat cash payment. That shapes how to claim. Documented losses up to $3,500 are paid before the no-proof pro rata cash, which comes last. Claims close November 3, 2026, and opt-outs and objections are due earlier, on October 19.
Status: Claims open, preliminary approval granted August 17, 2026 | Claim deadline November 3, 2026 | Opt-out and objection deadline October 19, 2026 | Up to $3,500 documented or pro rata cash, plus two years of credit monitoring
What the Court Said About the Numbers
In its August 17, 2026 order in Davis, et al. v. Southern Graphics, Inc., No. 3:25-cv-563-DJH-CHL, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky spread the $750,000 fund across the estimated 39,642 class members: roughly $19 each gross. After attorneys’ fees of up to $250,000, service awards of up to $2,500 for each of the five class representatives, and administration costs, the court found less than $13 per class member remains. It wrote that it was concerned the settlement may provide only perfunctory relief to unnamed class members, while still finding the relief adequate at the preliminary stage.
The court also questioned the service awards. Measured against what is left for everyone else, it said their proportionality suggests the settlement may give preferential treatment to the named plaintiffs, and it directed the class representatives to be ready to justify them with specific documentation of their time. The one-third fee request, it said, is consistent with awards elsewhere in the Sixth Circuit. Both requests will be decided at the final hearing, and the court may award less.
Why Receipts Beat the Flat Payment
The settlement agreement spends the fund in a fixed order:
- settlement administration costs;
- class representative awards;
- court-awarded attorneys’ fees and costs;
- credit monitoring for every valid claim;
- documented-loss claims (Cash Payment A);
- the pro rata flat cash (Cash Payment B), out of whatever remains.
That makes the flat payment a residual. The under-$13 figure does not set it, though, because Cash Payment B is divided among valid and timely claims, not among all 39,642 people. Class counsel estimated at the preliminary approval hearing that no more than 10% would file and that documented-loss claims would total no more than $20,000. No per-person estimate has been published; the administrator has said one will be posted on the settlement website when available.
There is a safety net. If a documented-loss claim is rejected and not cured, the agreement pays it as if the filer had chosen the pro rata cash, so a failed receipt claim does not end at zero.
The Three Benefits
| Credit monitoring (any class member) | Two years of CyEx Financial Shield Complete, with $1 million of financial fraud insurance, monitoring for identity theft, unauthorized transactions and high-risk use of personal information, and a fraud resolution agent. |
| Cash Payment A | Up to $3,500 for documented out-of-pocket losses caused by the incident between December 2, 2024 and November 3, 2026: money lost to identity theft or fraud, fees for credit reports, monitoring or freezing and unfreezing credit, ID replacement, and postage to contact banks. |
| Cash Payment B | A one-time pro rata payment. No proof or explanation required. |
Payments A and B are alternatives — the claim form tells filers not to claim one if they claim the other. Monitoring can be added to either. Expenses already reimbursed by someone else cannot be claimed.
What Counts as Proof
Cash Payment A needs reasonable documentation: receipts, bank statements, correspondence including emails, or telephone records. The claim form asks you to itemize each expense, describe its supporting documentation, give an amount and total them. Your own certification, declaration or affidavit is not reasonable documentation on its own; a written statement can add context to other records but cannot carry the claim. Everything is signed under penalty of perjury and may be verified.
The Breach
According to the notice, the case concerns a targeted cyberattack on Southern Graphics’ computer systems in December 2024; the settlement agreement dates discovery to on or about December 2, 2024. Files that may have been accessed contained names, Social Security numbers, tax identification numbers, driver’s license or state ID numbers, financial account and payment card information, passport or other government ID numbers, health information and health insurance information. The consolidated complaint, brought on behalf of a class described as the company’s current and former employees, pleaded negligence, negligence per se, breach of implied contract, breach of fiduciary duty, unjust enrichment and violation of the Kentucky Consumer Protection Act.
Southern Graphics denies the allegations and any wrongdoing or liability. The notice documents say Southern Graphics, Inc. is now Southern Graphics LLC.
Who Is in the Class
All living individuals in the United States whose private information was potentially compromised in the incident, including everyone Southern Graphics mailed a notice to. The case is in Louisville, but there is no Kentucky residency requirement. Directors and officers of Southern Graphics and its affiliates, governmental entities, and the assigned judges with their immediate families and staff are excluded.
Filing
The online claim form on the official Southern Graphics settlement website, run by Simpluris, opens with the Login ID and PIN printed on your mailed notice. A printable claim form can also be mailed, postmarked by November 3, 2026; it asks for the Login ID only if known. Payment options are PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, a virtual prepaid card or a mailed check. Filing is free.
October 19 Comes First
An opt-out request must be postmarked by October 19, 2026, with the case name and number, your full name, mailing address, telephone number, email address, personal signature, and the words “Opt-Out Request” or a clear equivalent. Opting out forfeits cash and monitoring and keeps your right to sue.
Objections are due to the Clerk of Court the same day, with copies to the administrator, class counsel and defense counsel. Beyond your grounds, you must disclose your past five years of class action objections with case captions and rulings, the same for your lawyer and firm, any counsel seeking compensation, any witnesses, and whether you will appear; your own signature is required. The court noted those requirements can discourage objections but accepted that they target serial objectors. An objector may still file a claim.
The final approval hearing is November 18, 2026 at 1:30 p.m. Eastern in Louisville. Payments follow only after final approval and any appeals, and no payment date has been announced. Funds unclaimed 240 days after class members are emailed to select a payment method go to a court-approved cy pres recipient. The full case file is summarized at OpenClassActions.com’s Southern Graphics data breach settlement page.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much will the Southern Graphics pro rata cash payment be?
No estimate has been published. It is what remains of the $750,000 fund after administration, service awards, attorneys’ fees, credit monitoring and documented-loss claims, divided among valid and timely claims. The court calculated less than $13 per class member remains after fees and awards, before that division by claimants.
Can I claim the documented losses and the pro rata cash?
No. They are alternatives. Two years of credit monitoring can be added to either.
What if my documented-loss claim is rejected?
If you do not cure it, the settlement agreement says it is paid as though you had chosen the pro rata cash option.
Do I have to live in Kentucky?
No. The class covers all living individuals in the United States whose information was potentially compromised, including everyone mailed a notice.
Do I need the Login ID and PIN?
Yes, to file online. The paper claim form asks for the Login ID only if known and must be postmarked by November 3, 2026.
When is the deadline to opt out or object?
October 19, 2026, two weeks before the November 3, 2026 claim deadline.
Sources
- Official settlement website, FAQ, important dates and claim pages — Southern Graphics Data Settlement, administered by Simpluris.
- Notice of Proposed Class Action Settlement, Claim Form (Case ID 9209) and Settlement Agreement, Davis, et al. v. Southern Graphics, Inc., No. 3:25-cv-563-DJH-CHL (W.D. Ky.).
- Memorandum and Order granting preliminary approval, entered August 17, 2026 (D.N. 36).
- OpenClassActions.com — Southern Graphics 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: Southern Graphics Data Breach Settlement — Up to $3,500 or Pro Rata Cash — 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.