March 1, 2010

Lawsuit Claims Illinois Clinic Leaked HIV Information

Patients of a clinic in the Chicago area have filed a class action lawsuit claiming that confidential information, including their HIV status, was inappropriately shared on computer networks, the Kane County Chronicle reports.  

The complaint filed against the Open Door Clinic of Greater Elgin names four HIV-positive men as “John Doe” and one HIV-positive woman as “Jane Doe” on behalf of a class of at least 260 people.  

The lawsuit claims the clinic “negligently, wrongfully and improperly leaked” information, including HIV status, on “networks where the information was made readily available, accessible and retrievable to the public at large.”  

The complaint also claims identity theft and fraud occurred as a result of the leaks. The complaint alleges the information was leaked between May 2008 or earlier through at least July 2009.

Search: Illinois, Open Door Clinic of Greater Elgin, privacy

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