Madigan sues Northbrook document storage company

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan is suing a Northbrook document storage company for improperly discarding patient records of a suburban medical group.

Madigan claims Filefax Inc. violated the state's Personal Information Protection Act by discarding records from a client into unlocked trash bins outside their offices, according to a news release from her office. Madigan said investigators discovered “complete medical records” in garbage containers outside Filefax's offices.

“This company brazenly violated the law and jeopardized the personal information and privacy of thousands of Illinois residents,” Madigan said.

The records belonged patients of Suburban Lung Associates, which has offices in Arlington Heights, Elk Grove Village, Naperville, Winfield, Yorkville and Plainfield. The company had contracted Filefax to maintain and destroy the medical records.

Attempts to reach officials at Filefax were unsuccessful.