A major healthcare provider is facing a class-action lawsuit over a significant data breach that exposed sensitive patient information. On July 10, 2024, Diana Capellan filed the complaint in the Circuit Court of the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit in Palm Beach County, Florida, against Florida Community Health Centers, Inc.
The lawsuit alleges that Florida Community Health Centers failed to secure and safeguard protected health information (PHI) and personally identifiable information (PII) of thousands of patients. According to the complaint, the breach was discovered on June 13, 2023, but affected individuals were not notified until July 1, 2024. The compromised data includes full names, addresses, dates of birth, medical records, and other sensitive health information. Capellan argues that this failure violates multiple standards set by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which mandates strict guidelines for protecting such information.
Capellan claims that the defendant's negligence has caused significant harm to her and other class members. "Defendant disregarded the rights of Representative Plaintiff and Class Members by intentionally, willfully, recklessly and/or negligently failing to take and implement adequate and reasonable measures to ensure that Representative Plaintiff's and Class Members’ Private Information was safeguarded," reads part of the complaint. The lawsuit also points out that despite discovering the breach in June 2023, Florida Community Health Centers delayed notifying affected individuals for over a year.
The plaintiffs are seeking various forms of relief from the court. They request an award for damages including actual, nominal, and consequential damages as allowed by law. Additionally, they seek injunctive relief to prevent further unauthorized disclosures of their private information. The plaintiffs also demand equitable relief requiring Florida Community Health Centers to enhance its security measures to protect against future breaches.
The case is being handled by attorneys David J. George from George Feldman McDonald PLLC in Lake Worth, Florida, and Cole & Van Note from Oakland, California. The case ID is 502024CA006431XXXAMB Div: AH.