Article - June 13, 2008 - Deseret News

Lawsuit filed over stolen medical records

By Aaron Falk

A proposed class-action lawsuit has been filed over the stolen billing records of 2.2 million University of Utah Hospital and Clinics patients. U. patient Patrick M. Beamish claims a courier for Perpetual Storage Inc. acted negligently in transporting the records, resulting in their theft and putting millions of people at "significant risk" of identity theft, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday. The complaint seeks class-action status, which would need approval by a judge.

"Our main interest is making sure everyone is protected," said Karra J. Porter, of the Salt Lake firm Christensen & Jensen. "This isn't a money maker for us. Protection is the key concern."

Hospital officials on Tuesday announced the records of 2.2 million patients, dating back 16 years, had been stolen.

Tapes containing a backup of the hospital's master billing records had been picked up by a Perpetual Storage courier on the afternoon of June 1. Instead of using a secure van, the courier violated company policy by using his personal vehicle, officials said.

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