Blog Sued By Hospital - Judge Approves Discovery for ISP to give up customer identifying information
Essent Healthcare, parent company of Paris Regional Medical Center has filed a lawsuit in Lamar County’s 62nd District Court against unknown “bloggers,” contending a blog — http://the-paris-site.blogspot.com — has defamed the hospital and that bloggers are breaking the law in releasing patient confidential information.
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday, asks the court to order SuddenLink Communications Inc., a local cable Internet provider, to disclose the identity and mailing address of the bloggers.
It also asks for damages in an amount sufficient to compensate the hospital for its injuries and losses resulting from the defamation and business disparagement by the bloggers, and punitive damages for the “willful, malicious and reckless attacks” on the hospital’s reputation, goodwill and business opportunities.
Shortly after receiving the lawsuit Tuesday, Presiding Judge Scott McDowell of 62nd District Court issued an order granting plaintiff’s motion to disclosure information, ordering SuddenLink to disclose the identity and any known mailing address of its Internet services subscriber……….
