A recent lawsuit claims that a major insurance group unlawfully intercepted the online communications of website visitors, raising concerns about digital privacy and consumer rights. The complaint was filed by Karla Lynch on April 8, 2026, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin against Jewelers Mutual Insurance Company, SI, and JM Specialty Insurance Company.
According to the filing, Lynch brings this case individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated, alleging that the defendants embedded computer code from third-party vendors Mixpanel and New Relic into their website at www.jewelersmutual.com. The complaint states that these codes intercepted and recorded visitors’ electronic communications with the site in real time. This included page views, URLs visited, browser information, IP addresses, demographic details, form submissions, and other data.
The document outlines how these third-party analytics platforms functioned. Mixpanel’s code allegedly placed a tracking pixel on users’ browsers as soon as they loaded the website—even if users had rejected cookies through a pop-up banner presented by the site. The code then assigned unique IDs to user sessions and began collecting information such as cookies, IP addresses, device details, location data, and user actions like clicks or text input. Similarly, New Relic’s session replay code reportedly captured detailed records of user interactions by taking snapshots of web pages’ structure and visual elements as well as recording changes made during browsing sessions.
The complaint emphasizes that both Mixpanel and New Relic received this information contemporaneously with user actions: “as soon as the Website loads, the already installed Mixpanel Pixel fires,” transmitting any action taken by a visitor not only to Jewelers Mutual but also to Mixpanel. For New Relic’s code, it is alleged that “tracking begins the moment a user arrives on Defendants’ Website.”
Lynch asserts she did not consent to this interception despite being given an option to reject functional or advertising cookies via a cookie management menu on the website. The lawsuit includes screenshots showing these options but notes that neither Mixpanel nor New Relic were listed among required cookies—implying reasonable users would expect their data not to be tracked if they withheld consent.
The legal arguments center around two main claims: violation of Pennsylvania’s Wiretap Act (18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 5701 et seq.) and invasion of privacy through intrusion upon seclusion under Pennsylvania common law. According to the complaint:
– The Wiretap Act prohibits intercepting or procuring another party to intercept electronic communications without prior consent.
– Plaintiff alleges defendants intentionally procured third parties to monitor website communications for financial gain without proper knowledge or consent from users.
– Plaintiff further claims that her experience is typical for all members of a proposed class defined as Pennsylvania citizens who visited www.jewelersmutual.com and rejected cookies while tracking code was present.
The suit describes how Lynch began receiving targeted advertisements after visiting the site—allegedly due to her information being captured by these codes—and contends this practice is ongoing for all affected class members.
As remedies, Lynch seeks certification of a class action; declaratory judgments finding past and ongoing conduct unlawful; injunctive relief barring future interceptions; statutory damages (including liquidated damages at $100 per day per violation or $1,000 minimum); punitive damages; restitution; attorneys’ fees; costs; pre-judgment and post-judgment interest; and any other relief deemed just by the court.
The attorneys representing Lynch are Nicholas A. Colella (PA 332699) and Christopher Cornelius (admission application forthcoming) from Lynch Carpenter LLP in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The case is identified as Case No. 1:26-cv-00597.
Source: 126cv00597_Lynch_v_Jewelers_Mutual_Insurance_Company_Complaint_Eastern_District_Wisconsin.pdf
