Legal Question in Civil Litigation in California
Employee/Patient Privacy Act related to accident involving Alochol
I was wondering if an employer can
get information from a hospital on
the blood alcohol level of a patient
who was earlier involved in a single
car accident while the patient was
driving a private company vehicle
during working hours. The employee
was not cited by law enforcement.
2 Answers from Attorneys
Re: Employee/Patient Privacy Act related to accident involving Alochol
Yes, with proper paperwork and procedures, since you were on the job.
Re: Employee/Patient Privacy Act related to accident involving Alochol
Not legally, at least not right away. A patient's medical records are private. His employer has no right to them. However, if the employer becomes involved in a lawsuit arising out of the accident, it may be able to subpoena those records.