A Virginia man received a $500,000 jury award after accidentally recording medical staff insulting him during a routine colonoscopy procedure. The case has become a landmark example of how smartphone recordings can expose healthcare providers to significant legal liability.
The patient, identified only as “D.B.” in court documents, underwent the procedure in April 2013 at a medical facility in Reston, Virginia. He had started recording on his smartphone to capture post-operative care instructions from his doctor but forgot to turn off the device when he was sedated for the colonoscopy.
