In response to ABC filming the death of a man in the ER of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital for its reality show NY Med, State Assemblyman Ed Braunstein (D-Bayside) has proposed legislation that would make it a felony to film patients receiving medical treatment without prior consent, according to a ProPublica report.
The film crew of NY Med caught Mark Chanko's death on camera after he was brought to the New York City-based hospital for injuries related to being struck by a city sanitation vehicle.
Neither Mr. Chanko nor his family had given permission for Mr. Chanko to be filmed while receiving medical treatment.
"You can imagine what the family went through when they witnessed their loved one dying on TV," said Assemblyman Braunstein. "After watching the story and finding out that they were really without any recourse, we decided we should introduce something to fix the problem."
Mr. Chanko's family filed a lawsuit against the hospital, ABC News and the physician who treated him. However, a New York appellate court dismissed the case.
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