Judge dismisses Stryker cyberattack lawsuit; plaintiffs may refile

A federal judge has dismissed the consolidated cyberattack lawsuit against Stryker after the plaintiffs voluntarily withdrew their claims without prejudice, according to court records reviewed by Becker’s.

U.S. District Judge Hala Jarbou of the Western District of Michigan signed an order June 30 dismissing the claims of all eight plaintiffs in the case. The order came one day after six of the plaintiffs filed a notice of voluntary dismissal. Because the dismissal was without prejudice, the case was not decided on its merits, and the plaintiffs could refile.

The court order also states that each side will bear its own costs and attorneys’ fees.

The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan after a March 11 cyberattack that plaintiffs said was carried out by Handala, an Iranian nation-state cybercriminal group. In a motion to dismiss filed June 22, Stryker argued that its investigation found no evidence that any plaintiff’s personally identifiable information was accessed, including Social Security numbers, financial account data or driver’s license information. The company also argued that the plaintiffs lacked standing because their data had already appeared in prior, unrelated breaches.

Becker’s has reached out to Stryker for comment and will update the story if the company responds.