A lawsuit has been filed against Santé Québec in Superior Court, aiming to compensate Quebec residents whose personal information was accessed without consent. The legal action, spearheaded by Klyden Legal, seeks redress for individuals whose privacy rights were allegedly violated by the healthcare agency.
Geneviève Déziel, the plaintiff in the case, is seeking damages of $15,000 per person, along with punitive damages of $5,000 per person, totaling at least $100 million. The lawsuit is intended to stop unauthorized access to patients’ medical records by healthcare professionals without valid reasons, as highlighted by Nancy Fortin, a lawyer at Klyden Legal.
According to the law firm, thousands of Quebec health system users have had their medical records inappropriately accessed by healthcare providers, sometimes out of personal curiosity or for unauthorized sharing of medical information. Shockingly, there have been instances of selling this information to third parties, even after a person’s passing.
The legal proceedings were initiated by Geneviève Déziel following the tragic death of her 19-year-old son. Despite seeking answers from healthcare authorities regarding her son’s care, she discovered that numerous individuals had accessed his medical records posthumously, without being involved in his treatment.
The plaintiff’s concerns about the quality of care her son received were highlighted in a newspaper article, triggering a surge in visits to his medical file. Klyden Legal advises individuals to monitor their health information for any unauthorized access by checking the Carnet Santé Québec website.
