You may make yourself vulnerable to a doctor as you trust them to care for your health. So it is a complete violation of your trust if your treating doctor gets out of hand and sexually harasses you. This is not to mention that it is also against the medical ethics established by the New York State medical community and the New York State Human Rights Law. Understandably so, your head may be spinning and you may have difficulty processing exactly what the doctor did to you. But please, we urge you to follow along to find out how to report sexual harassment by a doctor and how a proficient New York City medical malpractice attorney at Mark L. Bodner, P.C. can help you heal after this traumatic experience.
How do I know if I was made a victim of sexual harassment?
The New York State Human Rights Law formally defines sexual harassment as unwelcome verbal or physical behavior, of a sexual nature, typically based on a person’s gender. With this, you may be unsure if your experience fits into this category exactly, and you may be hesitant to make such a bold accusation. However, please know that your feelings are valid if you had any of the following interactions with your treating doctor:
- Your doctor may examine private parts of your body without wearing gloves.
- Your doctor may refuse to leave the room while you change out of your clothes.
- Your doctor may touch a part of your body that is not part of a physical examination.
- Your doctor may force you to undress a part of your body that is not part of a physical examination.
- Your doctor may make inappropriate, sexual comments about your body during a physical examination.
- Your doctor may ask inappropriate questions about your sexual activity or sexual orientation irrelevant to a physical examination.
How do I report sexual harassment by a doctor in New York?
After being made a victim of sexual harassment, it is common to feel ashamed or embarrassed. With this, you may not want to report this incident and forget about the entire thing completely. First, we must say to not feel regret, as this was caused by no fault of your own. Second, we must beg you to report it, as you may save many innocent victims from this negligent doctor by doing so.
For this, you should file a formal complaint with the New York State Department of Health’s Office of Professional Medical Complaint (OPMC), along with the New York City Commission of Human Rights. It may not hurt to also file a report with local law enforcement, especially if you wish to pursue a medical malpractice civil lawsuit in the near future. For resources in the meanwhile, you may contact the Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network (RAINN). Or, you may view one of our attorneys as a shoulder to lean on.
If you require legal representation, look no further than a talented New York City medical malpractice attorney. The client testimonials and case results on our website speak for themselves, saying that you will not regret hiring the team at Mark L. Bodner, P.C.