The courier stopped in front of an office building to pick up specimens. Because it was cold, he left the vehicle running and unlocked while he went inside. Within minutes, the vehicle, with specimens and patient reports inside, was stolen.
Hours later, the vehicle was found abandoned in a field. The thief set the car on fire, but not before throwing the patient reports all over the field, and not all of the reports could be recovered. The hospital was fined for a breach of privacy associated with the lost patient health information.
