$1.25 Million Awarded in HIV Privacy Case

An Indiana man has won a $1.25 million judgment against Internal Medicine Associates after the firm disclosed that he is HIV-positive when it sued him for a $326 past due bill.

The doctor's office disclosed his status to a collection agency, and it was included in a court filing demanding payment.

The ruling follows six years of depositions and medical board rulings in favor of the patient, whose name wasn't disclosed in his lawsuit.

"The entire case is about protecting his privacy and not having people in the Bloomington community know his status," said his attorney, Neal Eggesen, according to The Bilerico Project. "He was asking the jury to at least give him enough to move somewhere else. He does not feel comfortable here anymore."