MASSDEVICE ON CALL — A duo of U.S. veterans filed a lawsuit against the Veterans Administration this month after a South Carolina medical center reported a missing laptop with records on more than 7,000 patients.
Earlier this year the William Jennings Bryan Dorn VA Medical Center in Colombia reported a laptop missing from a testing lap in the center’s respiratory therapy department, warning that the theft may have exposed patients’ names, birth dates, and the last 4 digits of their social security numbers, among other information.
Richard Beck and Lakreshia Jeffery filed a lawsuit against the VA, complaining that the breach put veterans at risk of identity theft and insurance fraud, iHealthBeat reported.
The plaintiffs are seeking class-action status for the lawsuit, alleging that the VA failed to take appropriate measures to protect confidential data, even after a 2006 breach that exposed more than 17 million patients.
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