Illinois man sues lab over false HIV diagnosis

A Granite City, Ill., man is suing a medical laboratory for mistakenly informing him he was HIV-positive. Brett Bareford, 45, was wrongly informed he was HIV-positive after he submitted blood samples for testing during a physical examination on June 25, 2002, said Rhonda Jenkins, Bareford's attorney. "He kept thinking there must be a mistake, but he was assured that these tests are accurate," said Jenkins. The lawsuit, filed last week, names Tri-Lab LLC as a defendant and seeks damages in excess of $50,000 for extreme emotional distress, anxiety, mental anguish, embarrassment, and lost wages. Tri-Lab did not comment on the lawsuit.