A Queens resident has filed a lawsuit against a local hospital and several doctors, alleging they performed unauthorized surgery on him. Mark F. Coleman initiated the complaint on January 19, 2026, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York against Jamaica Hospital Medical Center and individuals Nathan Washburn, Nader Paksima, and David Merkow.
The case revolves around an incident on April 23, 2020, when Coleman sought emergency treatment at Jamaica Hospital after his dog bit off his fingertip. According to Coleman, Dr. Nathan Washburn initially treated him but then called in Nader Paksima and David Merkow, who falsely presented themselves as hospital-affiliated surgeons. These two doctors were neither employees nor credentialed by the hospital and lacked malpractice insurance. Coleman claims he did not consent to their involvement or the disposal of his amputated fingertip. The plaintiff only discovered this breach of protocol through a state court subpoena in October 2025.
Coleman accuses the defendants of violating his constitutional rights under the Fourteenth Amendment by compromising his bodily integrity without consent. He also alleges fraud, medical battery, negligent credentialing and hiring practices by Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, as well as violations of federal statutes like the False Claims Act and Anti-Kickback Statute. The lawsuit suggests that these actions were part of a broader fraudulent scheme involving kickbacks from Medicaid and Medicare funds.
The plaintiff seeks substantial damages from each defendant for various claims including first-degree assault due to unauthorized surgery resulting in physical pain and mental anguish. Specifically, Coleman demands $1 million in punitive damages from each defendant—Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, Nader Paksima, David Merkow, and Nathan Washburn—and an additional $1 million in compensatory damages for personal injury and lifetime suffering caused by these alleged actions.
Representing himself pro se in this legal battle is Mark F. Coleman while Matthew Reisman is noted as the attorney for defendant Nathan Washburn. The case is presided over by Judge JRC with Case ID: 1:26-cv-00322-JRC.
Source: 126cv00322_Coleman_v_Jamaica_Hospital_Medical_Center_Complaint_Eastern_District_New_York.pdf