Judge orders Toronto plastic surgeon to pay $21M to former patients after installing 24 cameras around clinic

A Toronto plastic surgeon, Dr. Martin Jugenburg, has been ordered to pay over $21 million to former patients following a class action lawsuit. The lawsuit was filed after a 2018 CBC Marketplace investigation revealed that Jugenburg had installed 24 cameras throughout his clinic, including in "very private places" like consultation and injection rooms. Judge Paul Schabas ruled that Jugenburg's conduct was "reprehensible" and that he "placed his own interests above those of his patients." The judge noted that patients were not adequately informed about the surveillance, with only one sign in the operating room and another in the elevator lobby. The lawsuit included about 7,000 patients, and 12 were called to testify, with many describing feeling "violated" and "humiliated." The judge also found that Jugenburg pressured patients to consent to social media use, which he used for marketing purposes. While there was no evidence that Jugenburg used the cameras for "nefarious purposes," the judge concluded that he breached his fiduciary duty to his patients. The judgment includes $21.5 million in damages and $1 million in punitive damages.

(Source：CP24 Toronto)