Printer Friendly Page

ALABAMA GUARD SERGEANT BRINGS CLASS-ACTION SUIT

AGAINST THE VA -- Alleges the VA knew about long-standing

security problems that threatened the privacy of veterans.

 

 

Story here... http://blog.al.com/spotnews/
2007/03/alabama_guard_sergeant_brings.html

Story below:

---------------

ALABAMA GUARD SERGEANT BRINGS CLASS-ACTION SUIT AGAINST THE VA

 

WASHINGTON -- A staff sergeant in the Alabama National Guard has sued the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs on behalf of the 535,000 veterans whose personal data were contained on a computer hard drive missing from the Birmingham VA Medical Center since late January.

The case, filed in federal court in Birmingham as a class action, alleges the VA knew or should have known about long-standing security problems that threatened the privacy of veterans.

The VA still has not found the hard drive, which contains data on the veterans plus 1.3 million health-care providers.

"With each passing day the chance increases for the plaintiff and those similarly situated to become victims of identity theft," the lawsuit states.

The plaintiff, Greg Fanin, was on active military duty twice in Iraq and once each in Jordan and Qatar, and he has received medical services at VA hospitals between 10 and 15 times since Nov. 2001, the lawsuit states.

The case was filed against the VA, VA Secretary Jim Nicholson and VA Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology Robert Howard.

Mary Orndorff

---------------

Larry Scott  --