For years, Florida has stayed in the headlines because of insider breaches related to identity theft. Not often do you see a lawsuit that prevails or settles, but here’s one where there’s been a settlement.
The case is John Doe v. Florida Health Sciences Center Inc. d/b/a Tampa General Hospital, Case No. 14-CA-012657, in the Circuit Court of Hillsborough County, Florida
From TopClassActions, a site devoted to such cases:
A settlement has been reached in a class action lawsuit that alleges former employees of Tampa General Hospital inappropriately accessed patient information.
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According to the class action lawsuit, Tampa General Hospital was aware that unknown individuals wrongfully accessed its computer storage systems, and became aware of this unauthorized access in May 2014. These unknown individuals allegedly accessed and obtained patient information, including their names, addresses, birthdates, Social Security numbers, admitting diagnosis and insurance information.
Doe states that the Tampa General Hospital data breach was discovered after police in Tampa, Fla., arrested someone who possessed Tampa General Hospital patient records even though this person was not a hospital employee. A hospital employee was reportedly terminated after an investigation into the data breach.
The Tampa General Hospital class action lawsuit asserts that the unauthorized access to patient information puts patients at risk of identity theft and financial losses associated with the theft of their personal information. Doe accuses the hospital of failing to adequately safeguard its patients’ personal information.
Florida Health Sciences Center denies the allegations and maintains that it is not responsible for any alleged intentional misconduct by its former employees. However, it has agreed to settle the class action lawsuit to avoid the burden and expense of trial.
The Tampa General Hospital class action settlement received preliminary approval on Oct. 13, 2016.
For more details on the settlement, eligibility, and a claim form, etc., see TopClassActions.