The Challenge

A registry serving claimants in a class action lawsuit is not a routine database project. It carries weight that an off-the-shelf platform cannot meet: every design decision touches on dignity, trust, consent, and the claimants’ control over their own information.

The main challenges Bronson tackled:

• Sensitive personal data handling. The registry holds personal, contact, demographic, medical, and consent information about claimants. The database had to be architected with privacy and protection as foundational, not as an add-on.
• Multi-level consent management. Claimants can provide different consents: consent to register and receive communications, consent to share information with the third-party claims administrator, consent to share information for internal research only, and consent to share information for collaborative research with partners. The database had to enforce these consent rules automatically and limit data sharing to what each claimant had agreed to.
• Consent change over time. Claimants must be able to change or revoke consent at any time. The database had to log consent changes over time and support workflows for claimants who revoke consent and request data removal.
• Role-based access control. Three distinct user types were required: an upload-and-edit role for data entry, a read-only role for reviewers and quality assurance, and a reporting role for administrators. The interim system needed the first user type; the others would follow in the completed version.
• Structured file assessment workflow. Each file moves through states: in progress, eligible, incomplete, ineligible, or removed. Reviewers complete assessment, mark a quality assurance checkbox, and only after QA can a unique Claimant ID be issued. The workflow had to be enforced by the database, not left to user discipline.
• Third-party claims administrator integration. Eligible claimants who consent must have their data shared with the claims administrator processing settlement disbursements. For all eligible claimants, only Claimant IDs are shared so the administrator can confirm eligibility. For claimants who consent to information sharing, additional details (name, date of birth, contact details) are shared to support claim processing and ongoing data reconciliation.
• Tight launch timeline with phased delivery. The class representative body needed to begin receiving claimant registrations without waiting for the full registry to be ready. Bronson had to deliver an interim solution that could hold information from day one, then complete the full registry on a follow-on schedule.

The class needed a registry that protected claimant dignity, enforced consent at every interaction, supported assessment and quality assurance, and integrated cleanly with the claims administrator, while launching quickly enough to begin its work in line with the litigation timeline.

Our Solution

Bronson designed and delivered the engagement as a structured, two-phase Azure database development program. The work was organized into the following streams:

1. Azure Platform Architecture

Bronson architected the registry on Microsoft Azure, using interconnected tables to hold personal details, event details, medical provider information, witness information, consent information, and file assessment outcomes. The platform choice supported the security, role-based access, and reporting requirements specified by the class representative body.

2. Personal, Contact, and Demographic Data Schema

Bronson built the personal, contact, and demographic data schema covering names, alternate names, legally appointed personal representatives, addresses, emergency contacts, education, identity attributes, gender, preferred communication language, and client intake tracking fields.

3. Event, Medical Provider, and Witness Data Schema

Bronson built the event-specific schema capturing the date and circumstances central to eligibility determination, including health care provider name and title, location and location type, event type, type of consent provided at the time, reason given, surrounding circumstances, residence at the time of the event, witness information, and document uploads.

4. Consent Management Engine

Bronson built the consent management engine supporting multiple consent types, with database-enforced rules ensuring that data shared or used downstream reflects only the specific consents each claimant has provided. The engine logs consent changes over time and supports workflows for claimants who revoke consent and request data removal.

5. File Assessment and Quality Assurance Workflow

Bronson built the file assessment and quality assurance workflow, tracking person type (inquiry, applicant, eligible claimant), file status (in progress, eligible, incomplete, ineligible, removed), assessment completion, QA review completion, and automated Claimant ID issuance once all three conditions (status eligible, person type updated to claimant, QA check complete) are met.

6. Role-Based Access Control

Bronson implemented role-based access control supporting three user types: an upload-and-edit role for data entry, a read-only role for reviewers and quality assurance, and a reporting role for administrators. The interim system delivered the first user type, with additional roles included in the completed version.

7. Search, Reporting, and Document Storage

Bronson built keyword and wildcard search by name, claimant ID, phone number, and email address. Basic reports provide claimant names and contact information in downloadable CSV format, with additional filterable reports supporting research, communication, and administrative needs. Document storage supports JPEG, PNG, PDF, TXT, and DOC/DOCX formats, with file size limits aligned to operational needs.

8. Claims Administrator Integration

Bronson built the integration with the third-party claims administrator. The integration shares only what each claimant has consented to share: for all eligible claimants, Claimant IDs alone confirm eligibility for the application process; for claimants who consent to information sharing, additional data (name, date of birth, contact details) supports claim validation and ongoing data reconciliation. Bronson scoped CSV-based sharing for the interim launch with automated delivery under investigation for the completed system.

9. Phased Launch and Coordination

Bronson delivered the engagement in two phases: the interim solution launched first to begin receiving registrations, with the completed registry database following soon after. Bronson supported the class representative body on training, testing, and timing coordination for features not yet ready in the interim system.

Key Deliverables

• Azure Legal Registry Database Architecture – The Azure platform architecture supporting interconnected tables, role-based access, document storage, search, reporting, and integration with the claims administrator.
• Personal, Contact, and Demographic Data Schema – Complete data schema covering name, contact, address, emergency contact, education, identity attributes, gender, language, and client intake tracking.
• Event, Medical Provider, and Witness Data Schema – Complete data schema covering the date and circumstances central to eligibility determination, health care provider and location details, event type, consent provided at the time, surrounding circumstances, residence, witness information, and document uploads.

The Impact

Bronson’s work gave the class representative body a custom registry database that supports its claimant intake and assessment work with the dignity, privacy, and consent control that claimants in a class action lawsuit deserve. Specifically, the engagement delivered:

• A custom Azure registry purpose-built for class action claimant registration and file assessment, rather than a generic CRM or off-the-shelf database imposed onto a sensitive use case.
• Database-enforced consent management ensuring that information shared with the claims administrator, used for internal research, or shared with collaborative research partners reflects exactly what each claimant has agreed to share.
• Consent change logging over time, with workflows supporting claimants who revoke consent and request data removal.
• A structured file assessment and quality assurance workflow that supports reviewers and protects the integrity of eligibility determinations.
• Role-based access control limiting who can upload, read, or report on claimant data, in line with the class representative body’s privacy and protection requirements.
• A two-phase delivery that allowed claimant registrations to begin during the interim phase, with the completed registry following on schedule.

The class action remains ongoing. As the litigation continues, the registry Bronson developed provides the technical foundation that protects claimant dignity, enforces consent, supports eligibility determination, and coordinates cleanly with the partners involved in delivering settlement disbursements.