Can a doctor sued for asking a patient on a date?
Anyone can sue for anything. The real question is whether the plaintiff (the person bringing the case) can prevail (win the case). A doctor asking a patient for a date may demonstrate an extraordinary lack of common sense and possibly a breach of medical ethics, but whether a plaintiff could prevail depends on whether s/he can prove legal “harm.” Chances are pretty remote that merely being asked out causes “harm,” but the question depends on the circumstances. Very generally speaking, the plaintiff/patient would have to show the doc had a duty, breached that duty, and the breach of the duty caused, harm. Assuming the patient can prove the first three elements, “ruffled tail feathers” probably isn’t sufficient to show harm, even if the patient was offended at the invitation to go out. Nonetheless, every case is fact specific.
