Proposed $21-million settlement reached against doctor in sex assault class action

Disgraced former doctor Veincent Nadon leaves Ottawa Court in 2018. Photo by TONY CALDWELL /POSTMEDIA NETWORKArticle content

Plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit have agreed to a proposed $21-million settlement with a former Ottawa doctor who has pleaded guilty to sex assault charges involving 49 victims.

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Vincent Nadon, who worked at the University of Ottawa Health Services clinic, pleaded guilty in 2018 to 14 sexual assault and voyeurism charges involving 49 victims and was sentenced to seven years in prison. He was granted full parole in July 2021.

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The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario discipline committee revoked Nadon’s medical license in 2020, describing the offences as the “most reprehensible conduct imaginable by a physician.”

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A class action was launched in 2018 against Nadon, the University of Ottawa and the clinic where he worked. The class action initially sought $210 million in damages.

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That was increased to $500 million in 2021, when the class action began.

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The $21-million proposed settlement was reached after three days of hearings before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.

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“The class action, commenced in 2018, has been vigorously litigated for over seven years. It was brought on behalf of former patients who were sexually assaulted by (Nadon) and in many cases secretly photographed or filmed without their knowledge,” the court ruling says.

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“The University of Ottawa and the University of Ottawa Health Services do not admit any wrongdoing,” the news release said.

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The settlement has one more court date before final approval.

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It will come before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Ottawa on Sept. 8 at 10 a.m., the court’s news release says. Upon final approval, the settlement will be dispersed to eligible class members, including all patients who were photographed or filmed by Nadon in a private setting without their consent or knowledge or who were sexually assaulted by him.

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The hearing will also be available on Zoom.

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Anyone seeking more information about the proposed settlement or the upcoming court hearing should contact www.drnadonclassaction.com or contact Flaherty McCarthy LLP at [email protected].

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Class members who wish to object to the settlement must send written objections to [email protected].

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