Ryan O’Donnell of WOAI reports:
Thousands of sensitive medical documents fell out of a truck bed and ended up scattered across the road for just about anyone to see and take.
The box belonged to Labcorp, one of the world’s largest companies that analyzes blood work, and contained thousands of patient medical records.
[…]
A spokesperson said a courier left the tailgate of his truck open and several boxes slid out, smashing onto Fredericksburg Road.
[…]
Labcorp. picked up the scattered records and told Cheatham they’d come by and get the box she found. However, they never showed up.
Wednesday, News 4 caught up with Cheatham again and waited with her for Labcorp. to come pick up the records, but, again, no one showed up.
“I’m going to continue to hold onto it until someone from Labcorp., someone responsible person from Labcorp., decides to contact me and get this information,” said Cheatham.
Labcorp. believes the information that scattered all over the road here was old documents from 1993 and later and possibly billing information which wouldn’t include people’s Social Security numbers.
Comment: This is not the first privacy breach involving LabCorp. In June 2006, a computer containing patients’ names and Social Security numbers was stolen from their Monroe Patient Service Center. That computer did not contain test results or birth dates. In June 2007, a nurse with a revoked license changed her name and obtained employment with LabCorp, where she stole patient information and used it to make thousands of dollars of purchases in the patients’ names. At least 10 victims from two LabCorp locations were identified, but there may have been dozens of victims.