More Than $1-Billion Recovered by The DiPietro Law Firm After Landmark Win Against Columbia University and Convicted OB/GYN Predator Robert Hadden

 $1 Billion Recovery is Historic Result Against Institutions that Covered Up Patient Sexual Exploitation and Abuse for Decades

The DiPietro Law Firm, led by renowned Patient Safety Attorney Anthony T. DiPietro, announces a landmark $750 million settlement today for 576 patients who filed lawsuits against Columbia University, The New York-Presbyterian Hospital, their Trustees, affiliates, and insurance carriers for a decades-long cover-up of patient sexual exploitation by disgraced OB/GYN Robert Hadden. This extraordinary result pushes the total amount secured by The DiPietro Law Firm on behalf of victims and survivors to over $1 billion since 2012, marking a record achievement in litigation of this nature. Attorney Anthony T. DiPietro’s commitment to holding institutions accountable for covering up misconduct has once again been demonstrated by his use of strategic litigation against Columbia University that has lasted over 13 years. The DiPietro Law Firm is now turning their focus to cases involving hundreds of men and boys who were exploited by another predator physician, Urologist Darius Paduch, who also practiced at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, the Weill Cornell Medical Center, and in the Northwell Health System until his arrest in 2022.

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“This victory is not just for the victims and survivors of Columbia University and The New York- Presbyterian Hospital’s cover-up who bravely came forward, but for all of us who entrust medical institutions with our healthcare,” said Patient Safety Attorney Anthony T. DiPietro. “For far too long, Columbia and New York-Presbyterian have prioritized protecting their reputations over protecting their patients. This settlement sends a powerful message that we’re here to ensure that institutions covering up exploitation and abuse will be held fully accountable for their crimes.”

A Decade of Advocacy and Unprecedented Results

The DiPietro Law Firm’s efforts in pursuing Justice for patients against Columbia University began back in 2012. Those efforts have uncovered decades of systemic misconduct and cover-ups at the institution. The $1 billion recovery highlights not only the severity of the abuse, but also the scope of the institutional failures that enabled it.

The settlement also underscores the role of DiPietro’s groundbreaking legal strategy, and relentless dedication to uncovering the truth, including the discovery of a pivotal letter from Columbia’s own Chairman of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Dr. Harold E. Fox. The letter DiPietro found revealed Columbia’s knowledge of Hadden’s misconduct dating as far back as 1995—a stark contradiction to Columbia’s public claims of ignorance about what Robert Hadden was doing to patients in private examination rooms.

Similarly, in ongoing litigation against the hospital and a predator Urologist named Darius Paduch, Attorney DiPietro found multiple internal documents that prove top level managers and chairpeople at the institutions were aware of patient complaints about the sexual assaults being committed by Paduch, yet did nothing to stop Paduch’s misconduct. “These documents are ‘smoking guns’ that show hospital supervisors and department chairs knew about Paduch’s crimes against men, but did nothing to stop him.” DiPietro is continuing to uncover the full extent of what the institutions knew—and when they knew it.

Institutional Impact: DiPietro’s Unique Litigation Strategy Uncovers Hidden Reports About Patient Abuse the Medical Institutions Try to Bury

The recent Columbia University settlement is just one aspect of The DiPietro Law Firm’s efforts to reform healthcare and increase patient safety. DiPietro is a true leader when it comes to litigating high-profile cases against medical institutions. The DiPietro Law Firm is currently representing over four hundred men against some of the nation’s most powerful, and corrupt, healthcare institutions including The New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Medical Center, and Northwell Health Systems. Mr. Paduch was recently convicted and sentenced to life in prison for his crimes against men and boys. But the case against Paduch’s employers and enablers is just getting started. “Hospitals cannot be allowed to get away with covering up misconduct that hurts patients—especially when the misconduct involves predator physicians who try to hide behind their medical licenses while exploiting and abusing patients,” said DiPietro. “We will continue fighting to expose wrongdoers, empowering survivors, and doing whatever is necessary to help ensure that these kinds of things don’t happen to anyone else.”

The Largest Medical Abuse Recovery in History

With over $1 billion recovered from Columbia University alone, attorney Anthony T. DiPietro and The DiPietro Law Firm have set a new record for patients in cases involving institutional cover- ups of medical neglect. This monumental achievement reflects the firm’s commitment to amplifying the voices of survivors, increasing patient safety, and creating lasting changes in the healthcare industry to protect the public.

About The DiPietro Law Firm

Headquartered in New York with affiliated offices in Philadelphia, Salt Lake City, and Los Angeles, The DiPietro Law Firm is a pioneer in sexual exploitation and abuse cases, medical malpractice, wrongful death, and other high-stakes litigation. The firm has achieved landmark recoveries from Columbia University and New York-Presbyterian Hospital, and is currently litigating hundreds of cases against New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Medical Center, Northwell Health Systems, and their disgraced urologist Darius Paduch. With a track record of securing over $1 billion dollars for victims and survivors, attorney Anthony T. DiPietro is a nationally recognized advocate for patient safety and institutional accountability.

For more information, contact The DiPietro Law Firm at (212) 233-3600 or visit www.ATDLaw.com

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