Columbia University and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital reached a $236.5 million settlement with former patients of Dr. Robert Hadden, the OB-GYN convicted in 2023 of sexually abusing patients across more than two decades of practice.
The settlement gives former patients a path to compensation without going to trial, and many of Hadden's patients are still finding out they may have a claim.
Here is what the settlement covers, who can take part in it, and what your options are if you were treated by him.
Who Is Dr. Robert Hadden?
Hadden practiced gynecology in New York for more than 20 years, seeing patients through Columbia-affiliated offices and at NewYork-Presbyterian. During those years, he abused patient after patient under the cover of medical exams.
A ProPublica investigation documented that Hadden assaulted patients for nearly two decades before he was held accountable. Internal complaints went back years, and patients had been raising concerns long before the institutions did anything meaningful about him.
In 2023, Hadden was convicted in federal court on charges related to enticing and transporting victims for illegal sexual activity. The U.S. Attorney's Office announced his 20-year sentence following the federal trial. The court's decision made clear he had used his role as a physician to gain access to patients and abuse them.
The federal conviction came after an earlier state-level plea deal that drew widespread criticism and was later vacated. Hadden's case became one of the most significant examples of how doctors can use medical authority to commit sexual abuse.
What Does the Columbia and NewYork-Presbyterian Settlement Cover?
The $236.5 million settlement is one of the largest resolutions involving sexual abuse by a doctor in U.S. history. It was reached to resolve civil claims brought by Hadden's former patients.
The lawsuits behind the settlement argued that Columbia and NewYork-Presbyterian received complaints about Hadden for years and did not act on them. Columbia later released findings from an external investigation that confirmed the institution had received warnings about him and missed multiple chances to stop him.
Taking part in the settlement does not require going to court or proving your case in front of a jury. The claims process is private, run outside the court system, and reviewed by an administrator rather than a judge.
Who Can Take Part in the Hadden Survivor Settlement?
Former patients of Dr. Robert Hadden who were sexually abused during their medical care may be able to take part. That generally includes patients seen at Columbia or NewYork-Presbyterian-affiliated practices during the years he was practicing.
Each claim is looked at individually. Not every former patient automatically qualifies, and what you experienced during your appointments matters to how your claim is reviewed. There are deadlines for filing, and missing one can affect your rights, which is part of why timing matters when you are weighing your options.
What Does the Claims Process Involve?
The settlement created a structured way for former patients to come forward without going through a trial. The process generally involves:
A claim form describing your appointments with Hadden and what happened during them
Supporting documents like medical records or appointment histories that confirm Hadden treated you
A personal statement, in some cases, explaining what you experienced
A private review by the settlement administrator, not a public court proceeding
You will not be cross-examined and will not have to testify in front of a jury. Compensation depends on the details of each claim, including what happened during your appointments and over what period of time.
What if You Didn't Realize What Happened Was Abuse?
Many of Hadden's former patients did not understand what happened to them as abuse at the time. That is one of the cruelest parts of how doctors like him operate. They use medical authority to make abuse look like part of an exam, and most people trust their doctor not to harm them.
Looking back at your appointments now and seeing them differently is not overreacting. It is something most of his survivors have had to work through, often years after the appointments themselves. The lack of a chaperone in the exam room, a safeguard that should be standard in any OB-GYN practice, gave him the privacy he needed to abuse patient after patient without anyone else seeing it happen.
Even if you did not file a claim through the settlement, other legal options may still be open to you. New York has expanded the deadlines for filing sexual abuse lawsuits, including in cases that go back many years. Whether you can still file depends on the details of what happened and when. The full path that follows a report against a doctor involves several systems, and an attorney can help you figure out which one fits your situation best.
How Do You Find Out if You Have a Claim?
Talking with an attorney is the clearest way to know where things stand. An attorney can confirm Hadden treated you, look at the timing and details of what you went through, and tell you whether you may still be able to file a settlement claim or another type of lawsuit.
More about the Hadden lawsuits and what survivors are doing now is available on our case page.
Speak With Help Law Group Today
A confidential case review is a private conversation where an attorney can listen to what you experienced, explain how the Hadden settlement applies to your situation, and walk you through any other options open to you.
Fill out our online form for a free, confidential case review with Help Law Group.