Pompano Beach, FL asked in Civil Litigation, Medical Malpractice, Personal Injury and Civil Rights for Florida

Q: I was in a drug rehab my medical information was released by a technician to make front of me in front of other clients

1 Lawyer Answer
Charles M.  Baron
Charles M. Baron
Answered
  • Civil Rights Lawyer
  • Hollywood, FL
  • Licensed in Florida

A: You didn't ask a question, but you apparently want to know what you can legally do about the fact that this happened to you. Also, when you say "to make front of me...", I assume you mean, "make fun of me..."

The U.S. Office of Civil Rights handles this type of complaint (for violation of the HIPAA laws), but I believe you missed the deadline for filing that, as you say this happened 18 months ago, and the deadline is 180 days (less than 6 months).

You can also file a lawsuit for money damages for invasion of privacy, which may be filed within 4 years of the date of the incident. Whether it would be worthwhile to file such a suit depends on a number of factors, so you must schedule an appointment with an attorney who handles litigation (lawsuits and claims) in order to discuss the details. One of the factors to be analyzed is whether there is at least one reliable witness to the event who would be willing to testify. If it's going to be just your word against another's word (or the word of several), it most likely would not be worthwhile, as the outcome would be unpredictable.

Tim Akpinar agrees with this answer

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