A doctor licensed by the state of New York is being sued by his former girlfriend due to allegedly drugging her with Plan B without her consent, or even her knowledge. Plan B is an over-the-counter birth control drug that allows a woman to take the pill after having unprotected sexual intercourse.
The civil lawsuit is seeking $5 million in damages as a result of the shockingly horrific conduct alleged. The complaint explains that the girlfriend found the box for the drug and asked her then-boyfriend about it, expecting to find out about an affair. However, as alleged in the complaint, he came clean and explained that he slipped the drug in her drink because he knew she would never agree to take it.
Drugging People Is Really Really Illegal
Perhaps in limited situations, such as when you have to get your kid to take their medicine, or need to jab an EpiPen into an unconscious person, there’s never really a good excuse for drugging someone without their consent. In fact, drugging another person can lead to both criminal and civil liability.
Under criminal law, administering a drug to a person without their consent is highly illegal. Depending on what was administered, a person is likely to face a wide array of felony charges ranging from poisoning to attempted murder. It’s not uncommon to hear about school children being charged with serious felonies for this sort of conduct. It’s even more common for individuals to face severe penalties for using date rape drugs.
Medical Consent Is Really Really Important
What makes this case that much more shocking is that the boyfriend here is a licensed doctor. Doctors are keenly aware of the laws governing medical consent, and can face severe civil liability for failing to obtain consent before administering medication, tests, or procedures on a patient. For doctors, not only do patients need to consent to procedures and medications, patients need to provide informed consent or doctors could face medical battery claims.
While the former girlfriend, turned plaintiff, was not likely a patient of her former-doctor-boyfriend, the fact that the defendant was a doctor will likely hurt him when it comes to defending this matter.
Related Resources:
- Injured in an accident? Get matched with a local attorney. (Consumer Injury)
- Study: Payouts Are up in Medical Malpractice Lawsuits (FindLaw’s Injured)
- 12 Party Goers Drugged in WA College Incident (FindLaw Blotter)
- How to Legally Intervene If You Suspect or See Date Rape (FindLaw Blotter)
