Two Dallas-based freestanding emergency room operators — Highland Park Emergency Room and Preston Hollow Emergency Room — filed a joint petition Tuesday in Dallas County District Court seeking to find out who left them 22 negative online reviews, according to The Dallas Morning News.
The ER operators are seeking the full names of the Google reviewers because they claim the individuals who rated them poorly were never treated in their facilities. They allege a third party gave them one-star ratings and posted negative comments "to defame and disparage" their businesses, according to the report.
The ER operators have the reviewers' screen names but want Google to provide their identities as well as metadata to assist with the investigation.
Although few healthcare organizations have filed lawsuits over negative online reviews, the legal route may become more common as patients increasingly use the web to research their physicians and medical facilities, according to the report.
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