Burned TV Fan Sues Dr. Oz

MANHATTAN (CN) - Dr. Mehmet Oz's homespun insomnia remedy left a New Jersey man with third-degree burns on both feet, the man claims in a lawsuit against the TV doctor.

Frank Dietl sued Dr. Mehmet Oz, Zoco Productions, NBC Studios, Sony Pictures Television and Harpo Productions in New York County Supreme Court.

Oz is the star of "The Dr. Oz Show," syndicated by NBC.

Dietl claims that the April 17, 2012 show touted "Dr. Oz's 24-Hour Ultimate Energy Boost Plan": how to cure cold feet-induced sleeplessness with a "Knapsack Heated Rice Footsie."

Oz said insomniacs should fill up a pair of socks with uncooked rice and heat them in a microwave, Dietl says in the complaint.

However, "Dr. Mehmet Oz failed to properly warn and instruct the home audience, and thereby plaintiff, as to the possible risks of harm that could be sustained by an individual who utilized the aforesaid home remedy who also suffered from neuropathy of the lower extremities," the complaint states.

Peripheral neuropathy is numbness and pain in the hands and feet caused by nerve damage.

Dietl says his condition stemmed from diabetes.

He claims Oz's home remedy left him with third-degree burns on both feet, "severely injured, bruised and wounded" and "sick, sore, lame and disabled."

Dietl demands damages for negligence.

He is represented by Dominick Gullo of Aidala & Bertuna.

In early February, the New Yorker published a feature titled, "The Operator: Is Dr. Oz Doing More Harm Than Good?" The profile asked whether Oz put viewers at risk by blurring the line between alternative medicine and accepted science.

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