Johns Hopkins Class Action Registration Begins for Gynecologist Patients

Registration has begun in a class action lawsuit against Johns Hopkins, which has been filed on behalf of former patients of Dr. Nikita Levy, a gynecologist associated with the hospital who was covertly photographing and recording some patients during exams.  

Former patients of Dr. Nikita Levy who wish to participate in the Johns Hopkins class action lawsuit can now sign up. If a settlement is reached with the hospital, or if the plaintiffs win an award from a trial, those participants would collect a portion of the funds. No registration deadline has been set.

Johns Hopkins Hospital officials have indicated that they are already in talks regarding a potential settlement agreement. Officials from the hospital have acknowledged that they are also outraged at actions of their former employee, who has since committed suicide, and the hospital has indicated a desire to reach a fair and equitable agreement with former patients.

The class action lawsuit blames the hospital for not discovering the actions of Dr. Levy or having sufficient mechanisms in place to prevent a gynecologist from collecting such a vast amount of unauthorized photographs and videos during examinations.

Dr. Levy was found dead in his home from an apparent suicide in April 2013, days after he was confronted with allegations that a Johns Hopkins staff members reported he was illegally recording patients at the East Baltimore Medical Center, a community clinic that is part of the Johns Hopkins system, located near the main hospital in Baltimore City, Maryland.

After searching Levy’s home, law enforcement officials discovered thousands of photographs and videos secretly taken of patients, including recordings of private areas of their anatomy that were taken without patient knowledge or permission. These photos and videos were taken during much, if not all, of Dr. Levy’s more than 20 years as a physician with Johns Hopkins, according allegations raised in recently filed complaints.

Since information was reported about the unauthorized photographing and video recordings, many of which were taken with cameras hidden in exam rooms or inside the end of a pen, hundreds of women have contacted lawyers to help discover if they were recorded and to participate in the Johns Hopkins class action lawsuit for Dr. Levy patients as a result the hospital system’s failure to prevent this invasion of privacy.

Dr. Levy saw as many as 12,600 patients from 1988 to 2013, all of whom could be eligible to register as part of the class action claim.