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Jury Hits Walgreens With $1.44 Million Verdict: First HIPAA Violation Case In US (Picture)
HIPAA Violation Results in $1.44 Million Jury Verdict Against Walgreens, Pharmacist
Although HIPAA does not create a private cause of action, a recent Indiana Superior Court jury verdict indicates that HIPAA could still play an important role in private causes of action in state court based on negligence and professional liability as it relates to confidentiality. On July 26, a jury in Marion County, Indiana awarded $1.44 million to a Walgreens customer based on allegations that the customer’s pharmacist accessed, reviewed, and shared the customer’s prescription history with others who then used the information to intimidate and harass the customer. At the heart of the case was a tangled love triangle in which the pharmacist’s husband had previously been romantically involved with the customer, resulting in the birth of a child. When the pharmacist learned of the relationship, she allegedly accessed the customer’s prescription information and shared it with her husband, who then used the information to intimidate the customer when she began demanding child support payments.
The customer filed suit against both the pharmacist and Walgreens in Indiana Superior Court, claiming that both parties had breached their statutory and common law duties of confidentiality and privacy. The complaint also included claims of negligence, invasion of privacy, and publication of private facts against the pharmacist and claims of negligent training, supervision, and retention against Walgreens for continuing to employ the pharmacist even after discovering the incident. The Court granted Walgreens’ Motion for Summary Judgment on the negligent training ……….…MOREHERE
