Dr. Oz is being sued. On March 19, UPI reported that 76-year-old Frank Dietl filed a lawsuit against Dr. Mehmet Oz, claiming that he suffered third degree burns thanks to a tip from the good doctor. Dietl filed the lawsuit on Monday in the Manhattan Supreme Court. He is seeking unspecified damages.
In the lawsuit, Dietl claims that he tried a home remedy that he saw on the "Dr. Oz Show." He says that he suffered "burns on his feet after sleeping with heated rice-filled socks." He also claims that he has lost sensation in his feet from the incident.
Dr. Oz has been sued in the past, but many people think that this is a bit overboard. Of course Dr. Oz couldn't have predicted how hot the socks would get and if they were too hot, the man shouldn't have put his feet in them. Trying anything at home that you see on television is definitely at your own risk, so this man may not even have a case.
As far as a response from Dr. Oz and/or his people, show spokesman Tim Sullivan reacted to the suit. He says that the cast "[stands] by the content in our program as safe and educational for our viewers" (via UPI).
Will Dr. Oz being sued change the way he does things in the future? Probably not. However, the show may decide to have a clear disclaimer so that this sort of thing won't happen in the future. Do you think Mr. Dietl has a case?
© Effie Orfanides 2013
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