Two fashion photographers have launched a lawsuit against their former plastic surgeon, an individual who has reportedly posted their post-operation pictures online. Talk about a photograph gaffe.
According to a report in the New York Post, the American daily newspaper that primarily distributed in New York City, “Shutterbug James Moritz and his partner, Doug Hill, went under the knife of the Upper East Side’s Dr. Douglas Steinbrech in 2012 to improve their ‘appearance, self-esteem and confidence,’ they say in an $18 million Manhattan Supreme Court lawsuit.”
All those desires for augmented self-esteem and self-images were all for not when they found out earlier in the year that Dr. Douglas Steinbrech utilized images of both Moritz and Hall as advertising for his Gotham Plastic Surgery. Worse than being used as advertisement, James Moritz and Doug Hill claimed the photos are being used without their permission.
The New York Post purports that images of 45-year-old Moritz’s procedure appeared on numerous billboards in addition to fliers and in print advertisements. Hill, 47, additionally claims that at least eight photos, as well as digital videos showcasing his post-surgery face and torso — “including a distinctive tattoo on his lower abdomen” —had been posted to Steinbrech’s Web site and social media.
“The men say they didn’t realize their privacy had been violated until this year, and now they are “greatly distressed and humiliated,” and accuse Steinbrech of breaking his Hippocratic Oath.”
Bryan Swerling, a lawyer for Hill and Moritz, states the main issue at hand. “These types of breaches in doctor-patient confidentiality have become more and more rampant in the digital age.” Moreover, states Swerling, “Patients must feel safe to divulge their deepest secrets to a doctor without fear of exposure.”
Dr. Douglas Steinbrech could not be reached for comment.
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