Many Canadians received a text message on Tuesday about a class action lawsuit against Rogers, and if you’re one of them, don’t panic — it’s not a scam.
“It is legitimate,” said David Assor, an attorney with Lex Group, the firm behind the suit.
A Quebec court has indeed authorized a nationwide class action lawsuit against Rogers — which also operates Fido and Chatr — in relation to the major Apr. 19, 2021 outage. That means, the case is allowed to proceed.
Assor is the lead attorney behind the lawsuit. His team alleges that many Canadians suffered damages as a result of the outage: Some people may have incurred medical damages because they couldn’t access services like 9-1-1, while others who depend on their phones for work — delivery drivers, for example — may have lost income.
Rogers’s wireless and data networks were hit by widespread outages for most of Monday, not only impacting people working from home but critical health-care communication and some 911 services.
For its part, Rogers pointed to the fact that it previously compensated affected customers for the day that they lost service.
“We have already credited our customers and look forward to defending the case,” a Rogers spokesperson told CBC News.
As the case proceeds, here’s what Canadians need to know.
I got the text. Do I have to do anything?
The short answer is no. The text message includes a link with more information about the suit and a form where people can sign up for updates.
“When I say sign up, it means register with me, so they can get notices by email,” Assor told CBC News. “It’s not to sign up or register for the class action.”
That’s because those affected are already represented. Meanwhile, anyone who wants to opt out needs to do so by Nov. 23, 2025, according to Lex Group’s class action notice.
“You don’t need to do anything or pay anything to stay in,” Assor said.
Legal fees would ultimately be covered by awarded damages or Rogers would have to pay them, depending on what the court decides.
How did I get the text in the first place?
The Superior Court of Quebec ordered Rogers to submit a list of phone numbers affected, and then a court-appointed administrator sent the texts, Assor said.
Will I get anything?
If the class action is successful, then it’s possible.
The class action notice says compensation could include “a partial reimbursement of service or subscription fees, and/or other compensatory, moral and/or punitive damages.”
Assor said documentation could come in handy and urged people to save proof of their losses, like receipts and other documents, if they still have it.
“Sky is the limit with what we can agree on or negotiate,” Assor said.
How long does a class action lawsuit like this take?
Assor said he expects the case to last about two to three years, but every case is different.
For now, the case covers everyone in Canada, but Assor said Rogers is trying to get some provinces excluded. Rogers did not respond when asked whether the company is trying to limit participation in the suit.
Now, the lawsuit is forging ahead.
“One way or another, we’ll find out whether we represent all of Canada or certain parts of Canada,” Assor said.
Those affected can sign up for updates on Lex Group’s website.
