A Florida healthcare provider is facing a class-action lawsuit over a significant data breach that exposed sensitive patient information. On June 10, 2024, Kevin Walker filed the complaint in the Circuit Court of the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit in Palm Beach County against Lakeview Health Systems, LLC.
According to the complaint, Walker alleges that Lakeview Health Systems failed to adequately secure and safeguard personally identifiable information (PII) and personal health information (PHI) of its patients. The breach occurred on or around January 25, 2024, when an unauthorized intruder accessed and exfiltrated data from Lakeview's database. The compromised data includes names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, medical diagnoses and treatment information, provider names, dates of service, treatment cost information, financial account details, state IDs, health insurance information, and prescription details.
Walker asserts that Lakeview Health Systems did not notify affected individuals until May 29, 2024—over four months after the breach occurred. This delay in notification has left thousands of patients at risk for identity theft and other forms of fraud. "Plaintiff's and the Class members’ PHI can be sold on the dark web," states the complaint. "Hackers can access and then offer for sale unencrypted, unredacted PHI to criminals."
The plaintiff accuses Lakeview Health Systems of negligence by failing to implement adequate security measures such as encryption or tokenization of sensitive data. The lawsuit claims that these failures violate both federal and state statutes designed to protect patient information. Walker also highlights that despite industry standards and previous warnings about cybersecurity threats targeting healthcare providers, Lakeview did not take necessary precautions to prevent such breaches.
Walker is seeking various forms of relief from the court including actual damages for costs associated with identity theft detection and prevention measures taken by affected individuals. Additionally, he demands injunctive relief requiring Lakeview Health Systems to improve their data security protocols significantly. This includes implementing comprehensive encryption methods for all collected data and conducting regular audits by independent third-party security experts.
The case underscores ongoing concerns about cybersecurity in the healthcare sector—a field particularly vulnerable due to its handling of highly sensitive personal information. With this lawsuit moving forward in Palm Beach County’s judicial system under Case ID: 502024CA005397XXXAMB Div: AE; The attorneys Manuel S. Hiraldo from Hiraldo P.A., Jibrael S. Hindi from The Law Offices Of Jibrael S Hindi representing Kevin Walker against Lakeview Health Systems LLC.