Medical facilities are all under very strict guidelines regarding the protection of the sensitive personal information of their patients. There are innumerable reasons for this protection, and when this privacy is breached, it can lead to countless problems. In this day and age, personal information that includes medical records and social security numbers is almost a black-market commodity, and UMC is now under fire for reports of potentially thousands of records of patients being leaked to parties who allegedly paid for them.
According to the Las Vegas Sun:
“Private information about accident victims treated at University Medical Center has apparently been leaking for months, the Sun has learned, allegedly so ambulance-chasing attorneys could mine for clients.
Sources say someone at UMC is selling a compilation of the hospital’s daily registration forms for accident patients. This is confidential information — including names, birth dates, Social Security numbers and injuries — that could also be used for identity theft.
Hospital officials knew of rumors of the leaks since the summer, but doubted them until provided evidence Thursday by the Sun. Now they’re scrambling to catch up to a crisis that may affect hundreds, if not thousands, of patients.
Selling — or even giving away — such information would violate federal patient-privacy laws and could result in fines and prison time.”
This invasion of privacy can lead not only to criminal and administrative scrutiny, but also gives rise to a wide array of civil liability cases. If you or someone you love has suffered as a result of having your personal information sold or disseminated in an improper manner, you need to take action by contacting a Las Vegas personal injury lawyer who has the experience necessary to dig down and find out what led to these problems. Contact Jack Bernstein & Associates today to schedule a free initial consultation.
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[...] posted last week regarding an emerging story that involves the alleged sale of private and legally protected hospital patient information to attorneys for the purpose of soliciting legal work. While the news caught many by surprise, it [...]
[...] for all the wrong reasons lately, and one of the issues we’ve been following involves the leaking of private patient information that’s protected by law. As a result of this leak of information that includes birth dates, [...]