ATLANTA (March 12, 2014) – A trial date was set for September 15, 2014 in a highly publicized lawsuit alleging wiretapping and racketeering against Tanner Medical Center. An amended lawsuit, filed in the Superior Court of Carroll County by law firm Gary Bunch, P.C. on behalf of prominent Atlanta physician Randy Warner, seeks monetary damages in excess of $5 million.
According to the lawsuit, Tanner Medical Center, a subsidiary of Tanner Health System, eavesdropped on a private telephone conversation of Warner and used the contents of that conversation to “coerce and functionally blackmail” him. In addition, the suit claims that Tanner interfered with Warner’s business relationships and engaged in wire fraud, mail fraud and a pattern of racketeering that damaged Warner.
“As we state in the lawsuit, Tanner’s malicious and abusive conduct is utterly intolerable in a civilized society and the medical center acted with specific intent to do harm,” said Warner. “We look forward to our day in court.”
The lawsuit and background materials illustrate a shocking and deliberate pattern by Tanner to besmirch Warner. The suit alleges that the medical center secretly recorded a private telephone conversation (in violation of Georgia statute O.C.G.A. 16-11-62) and used the contents of the secret recording to influence Warner.
“At trial, we look forward to our opportunity to prove that the only way Tanner could have obtained that information was by unlawfully invading my personal privacy,” said Warner.
According to Warner, a contentious relationship with Tanner arose from what the lawsuit describes as Tanner’s “on-going strategy to control, if possible, the private medical practices that it is unable to acquire.” When Warner chose to keep his independence, his business relationship with Tanner soured.
“Companies are allowed to turn a profit,” said Warner. “But not in exchange for inalienable rights such as personal privacy.”
A copy of the lawsuit is available for download at www.lawsuitpressrelease.com.
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