Almeida Law Group Defeats Motion to Dismiss in Twin Cities Orthopedics Patient Privacy Litigation

Almeida Law Group is pleased to announce that the Honorable Nancy E. Brasel of the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota has denied in part Twin Cities Orthopedics’ motion to dismiss in Vriezen  v. Infinite Health Collaborative, P.A. d/b/a Twin Cities Orthopedics, Case No. 0:24-cv-03743-NEB-DJF. 

The litigation involves allegations that Twin Cities Orthopedics (“TCO”) unlawfully intercepted and disclosed patients’ protected health information to third parties, including Meta and Google, through tracking technologies embedded in its website. Plaintiffs allege that TCO’s use of these tools violated its own privacy policies and multiple federal and state laws, including the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA), the Minnesota Health Records Act (MHRA) and the Minnesota Uniform Deceptive Trade Practices Act (MUDTPA). 

In a detailed ruling issued on September 30, 2025, Judge Brasel allow significant claims brought by Plaintiffs Breyanna Nelson and Joyce Lacey to move forward, including claims for wiretap violations, invasion of privacy, negligence, breach of implied contract, unjust enrichment and violations of Minnesota consumer protection statutes. The Court found that Plaintiffs plausibly alleged that TCO disclosed protected health information—including patient status and appointment requests—through its website’s appointment-request form, triggering protections under HIPAA and state law. The Court also held that Plaintiffs sufficiently pled that TCO’s conduct was deceptive and caused ongoing harm through targeted advertising. 

Almeida Law Group is proud to lead this litigation and remains committed to protecting patient privacy and holding healthcare providers accountable for the misuse of sensitive health data.