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View Full Version : Someone broke my HIPAA rights?


highlypoed
Nov 3, 2011, 05:18 PM
I worked for a local lodge as a caretaker for some of their property for 4 yrs. The deal was I would take care of their property and me and my wife and two children could live there without paying any other rent, only utilities. It got to where we had some difference of opinion, so they asked us to move in 30 days. Now, they never gave us anything in writing, so we were already in the process of buying a house.

We started moving [before the] 30 days was up on Oct 15. On the 16th of October, 4 board members climbed through the window of the house and ransacked the entire place. They took some pictures, a folder full of medical records, and some rings were missing. They also cut the lock off the building and removed a lot of tools. That same evening we went back there to move some more of our stuff and realized what had happened, so we called the police.

One of the board members came there and admitted to going in and taking some of the items. The police officer made him return what he admitted he took and told us the rest would be a civil matter. A few days later, we got a letter in which they are now trying to legally evict us.

Here's the real kicker to it all -- they went to the next open meeting with over 30 people there and started passing out copies of my medical records and photocopies of prescription bottles. Now, in those records are info that I have kept personal for a reason. This has to be to be illegal. I am so embarrassed that people know my private medical info. They had no other reason to do it except to embarrass us.

I have a lot of witnesses, even board members, at the state level who called us to tell what was going on. Can I not sue these people?

ScottGem
Nov 3, 2011, 05:33 PM
First your HIPAA rights were not "broke". Your medical providers were not involved in giving out information, so no HIPAA regs were violated.

However, illegal acts WERE committed against you. Tomorrow morning I would go to the police and press charges for breaking and entering and theft. Next I would consult an attorney to file suit against these people for harassment, invasion of privacy and anything else your attorney can think of. This appears to be almost a slam dunk and you should find an attorney to take this on contingency.