Kathryn Schroeder writes:
A medical reality show used footage of a woman’s husband dying without her knowledge or permission and she only found out because she tuned in to watch the program.
Mark Chanko was struck and killed by a New York City sanitation truck. He is survived by his wife, Anita Chanko, who counts “NY Med” as one of her favorite television shows.
About 16 months after Mark’s death, Anita sat down to watch the program and, to her horror, her husband’s final moments in the hospital were being shown, reports PIX 11.
“I actually watched my husband die in front of my eyes and the worst thing is not only did I hear him moan and groan in pain but I heard him say, ‘Does my wife know I’m here?’” Anita said.
Read more on Opposing Views.
Okay, this definitely has a poor taste aspect to it, but have any privacy laws been broken? How was the airing of this not a HIPAA violation of her husband’s privacy? Public curiosity does not make this man’s care newsworthy, in my opinion. I realize that what happens out in public – on the street – may result in reduced privacy expectations, but filming him in the hospital?
How the heck was this found legal?