Cook County Health & Hospitals System has again been hit with a class action lawsuit accusing it of allowing patient information to be exposed in a data breach.
In September, the hospital began notifying patients of the breach, which occurred between March 27 and May 2, according to the lawsuit filed in Cook County Circuit Court.
An "unauthorized party" accessed files of 1.2 million CCH patients, according to the notice, states the lawsuit, which also names a CCH technology contractor, Perry Johnson & Associates, as a defendant.
"Defendants failed to adequately protect Plaintiff’s and class members’ private information - and failed to even encrypt or redact this highly sensitive information," the lawsuit states. "This unencrypted, unredacted Private Information was compromised due to Defendants’ negligent
and/or careless acts and omissions and their utter failure to protect its affiliates' patients’ sensitive data."
Hackers targeted the patient's private information, "because of its value in exploiting and stealing the identities of Plaintiff and class members," the suit states. "The present and continuing risk to victims of the data breach will remain for their respective lifetimes."
The lawsuit seeks a court order requiring tighter security for patient medical information, damages and attorney fees.
The plaintiffs are represented by attorney Gary M. Klinger, of Milberg Coleman Bryson Phillips Grossman LLC, of Chicago.
Martin v. Cook County Health and Hospital System, Cook County Circuit Court, 2023CH09558