AIDS Privacy Case Verdict
HIV And Medical Negligence
This case was heard before a jury before privacy (HIPPA) laws went into effect. Our male client had contracted HIV, which was recorded in his medical records. These medical records were negligently placed in the wrong patient's file and into another patient's hands. As a result of the error, word of our client's HIV status quickly spread in the community causing him to become embarrassed, depressed and ultimately causing him to withdraw from his daily activities. As a result of the plaintiff's conditions he sought medical health counseling and retained Attorney Raipher D. Pellegrino. After the doctor and his staff denied making an error and the insurance company refused to compensate the plaintiff for this error, Attorney Raipher D. Pellegrino, in an effort to seek justice, filed a lawsuit against the doctor's office for breach of the plaintiff's right to privacy. After a very emotional trial in which the plaintiff could no longer stay awake because of his illness, a teary-eyed jury returned a verdict for the plaintiff. The case is significant as it is one of the only cases on the issue of a medical provider's breach of privacy to go to trial.
Result: By the time of trial, our client received monetary damages, and died the day after signing his settlement check over to his daughter.
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