Frequently Asked Questions

You are receiving this notice because you may be a Class Member in a proposed Settlement of a lawsuit involving Defendant’s alleged violations of the FSCA and various common law causes of action relating to Defendant’s alleged use of adtech on its website and patient portal.

This website explains the nature of the lawsuit and claims being settled, your legal rights, and the benefits to the Class.
 

Judge A. Emily Peacock of the Circuit Court of Hillsborough County, Florida is overseeing this class action. The case is known as Jewell, et al. v. Florida Health Sciences Center Inc., d/b/a Tampa General Hospital, Case No. 2023-CA-014439. The people who sued are called the “Plaintiffs,” and the company they sued is called the “Defendant.”

Plaintiffs Dawn Jewell and Kristin Wright filed a lawsuit against Florida Health Sciences Center Inc. d/b/a Tampa General Hospital, individually and on behalf of anyone who accessed the website or patient portal between May 1, 2017 and August 23, 2022.  

The lawsuit alleges that the Defendant violated the FSCA and other laws relating to Defendant’s alleged use of adtech on its website and patient portal.  

By agreeing to settle, both sides avoid the cost, disruption, and distraction of further litigation. The Class Representatives, Defendant, and their attorneys believe the proposed Settlement is fair, reasonable, and adequate and, thus, best for the Class Members.

The Court did not decide in favor of the Plaintiffs or Defendant. 
 

Full details about the proposed Settlement are found in the Settlement Agreement available here.
 

In a class action, one or more people called “Class Representatives” sue on behalf of all people who are alleged to have similar claims.  All these people together are the “Class” or “Class Members.” 

You are included in this Settlement as a Class Member if you live in the United States and accessed the website or patient portal from May 1, 2017 through August 23, 2022.  

If you are not sure whether you are in the Class, or have any other questions about the Settlement, visit here, or write with questions to c/o Kroll Settlement Administration LLC, P.O. Box 225391, New York, NY 10150-5391 or call toll free (833) 421-4562.
 

The proposed Settlement, if approved by the Court, will provide eligible Class Members with payments of $15.00 per household. 

You must file a Claim to get any money from the proposed Settlement. The deadline to submit a Claim is September 12, 2025. 

You must submit a Claim Form to be eligible to receive any money from the Settlement, if it is approved. You can submit a claim online here, download a Claim Form here, or you can call the Settlement Administrator at (833) 421-4562.

Your Claim Form must be postmarked or submitted online no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time by September 12, 2025.

Unless you exclude yourself, you will be included as part of the Settlement Class, if the Settlement is approved. By staying in the Class, you will be eligible to receive a $15.00 payment, and you will be releasing the Defendant and all Released Parties from any liability, cause of action, claim, right to damages or other relief, and any other legal rights to which you may otherwise be entitled under the law(s) of your state or any other applicable law. 
 

This means that you will no longer be able to sue Florida Health Sciences Center Inc. d/b/a Tampa General Hospital or any other person or entity regarding the Defendant’s alleged use of adtech on its website and patient portal if you are a Class Member and do not exclude yourself from the Class.
 

The Settlement Agreement, includes all the provisions about settled claims and releases, is available here.

Yes. Class Representatives Dawn Jewell and Kristin Wright will request a service award of $2,500.00 each up to a maximum total amount of $5,000.00 in the aggregate, to compensate them for their services as Class Representatives and Plaintiffs and their efforts in bringing these claims. The Court will make the final decision as to the amount, if any, to be paid to these individuals.

If you do not want to be included in the Settlement, you must send a written request for exclusion postmarked no later than July 14, 2025 to:

Jewell v. Florida Health Sciences Center
c/o Kroll Settlement Administration LLC
P.O. Box 225391
New York, NY 10150-5391
 

Instructions on how to submit a request for exclusion are available here or from the Settlement Administrator by calling (833) 421-4562.
 

If you exclude yourself, you will not be able to receive benefits from the Settlement and you cannot object to the Settlement. You will not be legally bound by anything that happens in the lawsuit.

No.  If you do not exclude yourself from the Settlement, you forever give up the right to sue the Released Parties (described in FAQ 8) for the claims this Settlement resolves.

If you do nothing, you will be bound by the Settlement if the Court approves it, you will not be able to start or proceed with a lawsuit or be part of any other lawsuit against the Released Parties (described in FAQ 8) about the settled claims in this case at any time.

Yes. The Court has ordered that Philip L. Fraietta of Bursor & Fisher, P.A.; Scott R. Drury of Drury Legal, LLC; Nicholas A. Colella of Lynch Carpenter, LLP; and Christian Levis of Lowey Dannenberg, P.C. (“Class Counsel”) will represent the interests of all Class Members. Class Members will not be separately charged for these lawyers. 

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

Class Counsel will apply to the Court for an award of attorneys’ fees and litigation expenses in an amount up to $700,000.00.

A copy of Class Counsel’s Application for Attorneys’ Fees and Expenses will be posted here before the Final Approval Hearing. The Court will make the final decisions as to the amounts to be paid to Class Counsel and may award less than the amounts requested by Class Counsel.
 

If you want to tell the Court that you do not agree with the proposed Settlement or some part of it, you can submit an Objection to the Court telling the Court why you do not think the Settlement or some part of it should be approved. 

Your Objection must include all the following information: 

1. The case name: Jewell, et al. v. Florida Health Sciences Center Inc., d/b/a Tampa General Hospital, Case No. 2023-CA-014439 (Hillsborough County Circuit Court, Florida).
2. Your full name, address, and telephone number.
3. The name, address, and telephone number of any lawyer(s) representing you or who may be entitled to compensation in connection with objection.
4. A statement that you are a Class Member in the proposed Settlement, including a verification under oath of the location and approximate date you accessed the Defendant’s website or patient portal. 
5. A detailed statement of the Objection(s), including the grounds for the Objection(s) and any legal support for the Objection.
6. Copies of any papers, briefs, or other documents upon which the Objection is based.
7. A list of any and all persons who will be called to testify in support of the Objection.
8. A statement whether you or your counsel intend to appear at the Fairness Hearing. 
9. A list and copies of any and all exhibits that you or your counsel intends to offer at the Fairness Hearing.
10. The identity of any current or former lawyer who may be entitled to compensation for any reason relating to the Objection.
11. A list of any class action settlement objections made by you or your lawyer in any state or federal court in the last five years. 

Your Objection must be submitted to the Clerk of the Court by First-Class mail, postmarked no later than July 14, 2025, to:

    Clerk of the Court
    Hillsborough County Circuit Court
    601 E. Kennedy Boulevard
    Tampa, FL 33602
 

In addition, you must mail a copy of your Objection to Class Counsel and Defense Counsel, postmarked no later than July 14, 2025:

If you do not submit your Objection with all requirements, or you do not submit your Objection postmarked by July 14, 2025, you will be considered to have waived all Objections and will not be entitled to speak at the fairness hearing.

Objecting is simply telling the Court that you don’t like something about the Settlement. You can object only if you stay in the Class.
 

Excluding yourself is telling the Court that you do not want to be part of the Class. If you exclude yourself, you have no basis to object because the Settlement no longer affects you.
 

The Court will hold the Final Approval Hearing at 2:00 p.m. ET on October 06, 2025, at Hillsborough County Circuit Court, 601 E. Kennedy Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33602. The hearing may be moved to a different date, time or location without additional notice, so it is recommended that you periodically check the website for updated information.
 

At the hearing, the Court will consider whether the proposed Settlement is fair, reasonable, adequate, and is in the best interests of Class Members, and if it should be approved. If there are valid, timely Objections, the Court will consider them and will listen to people who have asked to speak at the hearing if the request was made properly. The Court will also consider the award of Attorneys’ Fees and Expenses to Class Counsel and the request for service awards to the Class Representatives.

No, you are not required to come to the Final Approval Hearing. However, you are welcome to attend the hearing at your own expense.  
 

If you submit an Objection, you do not have to come to the hearing to talk about it. If your Objection was submitted properly and on time, the Court will consider it. You also may pay your own lawyer to attend the Final Approval Hearing, but that is not necessary.

Yes, you can speak at the Final Approval Hearing but you must ask the Court for permission. To request permission to speak, you must file an Objection according to the instructions in FAQ 15, including all the information required.  

You cannot speak at the hearing if you exclude yourself from the Settlement.

If you do nothing, you will not get any money from the Settlement, you will not be able to sue for the claims in this case and you release the claims as described in FAQ 8.

This is only a summary of the proposed Settlement. If you want additional information about this lawsuit, including a copy of the Settlement Agreement, the Complaint, the Court’s Preliminary Approval Order, Class Counsel’s Application for Attorneys’ Fees and Expenses, and or update your address, please visit the Document section or call (833) 421-4562. 

You may also contact the Settlement Administrator at (833) 421-4562. 

You may also visit or call the Clerk’s office at the Hillsborough County Circuit Court, 601 E. Kennedy Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33602; (813) 276-8100.  The Clerk will tell you how to obtain the complete file for inspection and copying at your own expense.
 

PLEASE DO NOT ADDRESS ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SETTLEMENT OR LITIGATION TO THE CLERK OF THE COURT OR THE JUDGE.