A federal judge in Alabama has refused to dismiss a putative class action case against Flowers Hospital in Dothan, Ala., over an employee who stole patient data.
In April, the hospital discovered that an employee had been stealing forms with sensitive patient information and was possibly using the information to file fraudulent tax returns.
A class action lawsuit was later filed alleging the hospital had limited security measures in place to protect patient files.
The hospital filed a motion to dismiss the case, saying the plaintiffs' complaint does not allege the facts that demonstrate they suffered an injury that is traceable to the hospital.
The judge denied this motion to dismiss the case and told the plaintiffs to file amended complaints by Oct. 3.
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