The St. Petersburg Times reports that a federal appeals court in Florida has allowed a Tampa class action suit to go forward, ruling that Florida residents can sue Delhaize-owned Sweetbay Supermarkets there over the data breach that hit the company in late 2007 and early 2008.
That breach hit 4.2 million credit card numbers held by shoppers at Sweetbay and its sister chain, Maine-based Hannaford Bros.
While the Florida case initially was bundled into a federal class action that included customers of both chains, the Florida decision “peeled off one case and sent it back to be heard on its own in a state court in Tampa,” the Times writes. “The panel ruled Florida residents would have more options in the case since it was filed against a Florida company in the home state of all parties.”
That breach hit 4.2 million credit card numbers held by shoppers at Sweetbay and its sister chain, Maine-based Hannaford Bros.
While the Florida case initially was bundled into a federal class action that included customers of both chains, the Florida decision “peeled off one case and sent it back to be heard on its own in a state court in Tampa,” the Times writes. “The panel ruled Florida residents would have more options in the case since it was filed against a Florida company in the home state of all parties.”
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