Hospital sued over photo of man's genitals

DENVER (Reuters) - Two Denver hospital workers took a photograph of a man's genitals while he lay unconscious in an emergency room after being mugged, his attorney has said.


Gregory Bradford, 35, was taken to Denver Health Medical Centre in February last year with a cracked skull after being attacked outside a gay bar.


According to Bradford, a hospital employee pushed his blanket down and took a picture of his genitals with a small digital camera that Bradford had used to take pictures of his friends at the bar.


"They disrobe him and put him on display. People are coming in and out (of the emergency room) to see him," Bradford's lawyer Dan Caplis said on Wednesday.


"Then somebody gets the bright idea to take a photo of him and leave the photo on the camera," Caplis added. "They left the picture of him to humiliate him."


Bradford has filed notice of intent to sue.


A hospital spokeswoman said the incident had been investigated immediately and two employees alleged to have used the camera were no longer working for Denver Health.


News of the incident surfaced a week after Denver Health Medical Centre announced it had fired five paramedics and disciplined 12 others for harassing or bullying patients in unrelated cases.