Can I sue a hospital for disclosing confidential information?
Question Details:
A hospital gave an attorney my medical information to collect a debt. I have a confidential deadly disease. Doesn't this violate my privacy rights? Can I sue?
Invasion of privacy includes the public disclosure of private facts. The issue here is the basis upon which the attorney obtained your medical information. A subpoena to obtain medical records is a routine procedure. If that is what occurred here, you would not prevail in a lawsuit for invasion of privacy because a subpoena or other court action would supercede your right to confidentiality of your medical records. Pursuant to the subpoena, the hospital would have been required to release your medical information.