If you've ever leased or loaned a car from Nissan, you can now cash in on a hefty settlement.

The Superior Court of Quebec and Ontario Superior Court of Justice have approved the settlement in two class-action lawsuits — the first against Nissan Canada Inc., Nissan Canada Financial Services Inc., and Nissan North America Inc. in Ontario, and the second against Nissan Canada Inc. in Quebec.

Law firms McKenzie Lake Lawyers LLP, Landy Marr Kats and Du Vernet, Stewart announced the approval on Thursday.

The lawsuits allege that the popular car brand is liable for damages resulting from an incident in which it received an anonymous email from an unknown individual claiming to have information about customers. The individual demanded a ransom be paid to return the data.

According to the law firms, Nissan denies any wrongdoing, and none of the lawsuit's allegations have been proven.

The car brand has instead agreed to settle the lawsuit for $1,820,000.

Who's eligible for this Nissan settlement?

You can claim a chunk of the settlement if:

• You're a Quebec resident who had an active lease or loan with the car brand between December 22, 2016, and January 12, 2017;
• You're a Quebec resident who received a letter from Nissan in January 2018 informing you of the data incident;
• You're a Canadian resident (excluding Quebec) who had active leases or loans with the brand between December 22, 2016, and January 12, 2017.

How much could you get from the settlement?

Now that the settlement has been approved by the courts, Canadians who have suffered damages, losses, costs, and/or unreimbursed expenses caused by the data incident would be eligible for reimbursement of up to $2,500.

You'll have to have documentation or proof of damages to claim that chunk of change. If you don't have proof, you can still submit a claim and would be entitled to up to $35 for reimbursement of lost time.

How do you submit a claim?

Eligible Canadians can cash in on the settlement starting today. The deadline to submit a claim is October 21, 2024, at 11:59 p.m.

You can submit a claim form online here.